Can Parental Bonding Be Assessed in Children? Factor Structure and Factorial Invariance of the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI) Between Adults and Children
Abstract
This study examined the factorial structure of the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI) in the Greek population. Using confirmatory factor analysis different proposed models of the basic dimensions of PBI were evaluated. The results indicated that Kendler's three-factor (i.e. care, protectiveness and authoritarianism) solution was found to be more satisfactory than the other competing two-, three- and four-factor models. A second aim was the investigation of the factorial invariance of the PBI across different age groups (adults vs. children). The results revealed that PBI can be used in children samples (measurement invariance) but it seems that PBI latent variables may be perceived differently across different age groups (not structural invariance). The authors conclude that further research is needed in order to understand whether the differences are due to actual developmental changes in children's perceptions of the parent-child relationship or conceptual problems regarding the children's ability to conceive the PBI's theoretical constructs.
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Parental bonding was operationalized using a three-factor model comprising Care, Protectiveness (behavioral control), and Authoritarianism, as proposed by Kendler (1996) and empirically supported by Tsaousis et al. (2012).
“In the present study, parental bonding was operationalized using a three-factor model comprising Care, Protectiveness (behavioral control), and Authoritarianism, as proposed by Kendler (1996) and empirically supported by Tsaousis et al. (2012).”
From Childhood and Adult Playfulness: Links with Well-Being and Interpersonal Relationships (2026) · cites this paper as Tsaousis et al., 2012
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A comparison of some methodologies for the factor analysis of non‐normal Likert variables
Muthén, B., & Kaplan, D. (1985) · British Journal of Mathematical and Statistical Psychology · doi:10.1111/j.2044-8317.1985.tb00832.x · Cited by 1,778 · see citing works
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Kullberg, M.-L., Maciejewski, D., van Schie, C. C., Penninx, B. W. J. H., & Elzinga, B. M. (2020) · Psychological Assessment · doi:10.1037/pas0000864 · Cited by 44 · see citing works
Pesca, C., Lo Iacono, L., & Carola, V. (2025) · European Journal of Psychotraumatology · doi:10.1080/20008066.2025.2521152 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Childhood and Adult Playfulness: Links with Well-Being and Interpersonal Relationships
Skeryte-Kazlauskiene, M. (2026) · International Journal of Psychological Studies · doi:10.5539/ijps.v18n2p37
“In the present study, parental bonding was operationalized using a three-factor model comprising Care, Protectiveness (behavioral control), and Authoritarianism, as proposed by Kendler (1996) and empirically supported by Tsaousis et al. (2012).”
- Authors
- Tsaousis, I., Mascha, K., & Giovazolias, T.
- Affiliations
- University of Crete (GR)
- Corresponding author
- Tsaousis, Ioannis
- Venue
- Child Psychiatry & Human Development
- Published
- 2011-10-15
- Volume
- 43
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 238-253
- ISSN
- 0009-398X (ISSN-L)
- 1573-3327
- OpenAlex
- W1994278741
- Cited by
- 39
- References
- 1
- Citations by year
- 2025: 3 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 4 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 1 · 2013: 1 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 1.30
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Child Psychiatry & Human Development (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Management Science and Operations Research › Psychometric Methodologies and Testing
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Attachment and Relationship Dynamics
- Keywords
- Parental Bonding Instrument, parental bonding, factor structure, measurement invariance, structural invariance, children's self-assessment, parent-child relationship, authoritarianism, protectiveness, parental care, Greek population, age differences
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Authoritarianism, Child, Factor Analysis, Statistical, Female, Humans, Male, Models, Psychological, Object Attachment, Parent-Child Relations, Surveys and Questionnaires, Parenting
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