The parental comparison level index: A measure for assessing parental rewards and costs relative to expectations

This article presents the rationale for and initial findings concerning the development of the Parental Comparison Level Index (PCLI). The necessity for the development of a new method for assessing the experience of parenthood is based on the conceptual limitations within the extant research. The PCLI is based on the interpersonal processes highlighted by social exchange perspectives, with a particular focus on the role that expectations and comparative processes play in the evaluation of relationships. Data collected on 439 parents (169 fathers and 270 mothers) offer strong support that the PCLI contains two highly reliable subscales: reward and cost The data also provide evidence for the validity of the subscales because they covary in expected ways with two measures of marital quality and variations in the family life cycle.