The parent-child relationship inventory for children: Background and first results

A questionnaire on representations of the parent-child relationship in preadolescent children is presented. At present, no standardised measure is available for this age group which assesses economically but still differentiated how younger children perceive the relationship with their parents. The original version of the Parent-Child Relationship Inventory for Children (PI-C, in German: FEB-K) was given to a sample of 371 fourth-grade students of different elementary schools in Hamburg. Factor- and item analysis led to a 22-item questionnaire with the dimensions core, control, lack of limitations, confidence, and conflict/rejection. A total of 53.8% of variance is explained by the 5-factor solution. Based on these factors, distinct groups of the perceived parent-child relationship emerged in cluster analysis which were associated with children's eating behaviour. The PI-C is proposed for research on the parent-child relationship in clinical as well as non-clinical samples and for the use as diagnostic instrument in clinical practice.