Child-parent interactions in American and Turkish families: Examining measurement invariance analysis of child-parent relationship scale

Authors

Elsa Lucia Escalante-Barrios, Universidad del Norte, Atla´ ntico, ColombiaFollow
Sonia Mariel Suarez-Enciso, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Helen Raikes, University of Nebraska - LincolnFollow
Dawn Davis, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Aileen Garcia, South Dakota State UniversityFollow
Mubeccel Gonen, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
Mefharet Veziroglu-Celik, Istanbul Medipol University
Ramle Gul Hazar, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey

Date of this Version

4-3-2020

Citation

Escalante-Barrios EL, Suarez-Enciso SM, Raikes H, Davis D, Garcia A, Gonen M, et al. (2020) Child-parent interactions in American and Turkish families: Examining measurement invariance analysis of child-parent relationship scale. PLoS ONE 15(4): e0230831. https://doi.org/10.1371/ journal.pone.0230831

Comments

Copyright: © 2020 Escalante-Barrios et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License

Abstract

The parent-child relationship is a cornerstone of early childhood development and one-way early childhood programs can have a positive influence on early development is to adopt programmatic features to enhance this relationship. Research supports these conclusions in both U.S. and cross-cultural contexts, even though assumptions about parenting and the parent-child relationship may differ across cultures. However, for true understanding of cultural differences, it is important to have comparable measures across cultures. The purpose of the study is to assess measurement invariance of the two constructs of the Child-parent Relationship Scale using data gathered in programs serving low-income preschool children in the U.S.(n = 4,450) and Turkey (n = 592) from 2014 to 2015. Using Single-group Confirmatory Factor Analysis, the original factor structures of the Turkish and the English versions were tested. Besides, Multigroup Confirmatory Factor Analysis provided evidence for configural, metric, scalar invariance, strict factorial invariance or error variance invariance and construct level invariance across the two versions. Only configural invariance was established, which showed an agreement for the existence of an underlying theoretical construct for each subscale (Conflict and Closeness) of the Turkish and the English versions. However, item CPRS 4 was a non-significant item for Conflict in the Turkish version that affected the possibility to conduct further analyses. Findings encourage researchers to propose and assess cultural and linguistic adaptations for the Child-parent Relationship Scale before cross-cultural comparisons related to family relationships.