Parental Conditional Regard Scales (PCRS)

The “Parental Conditional Regard Scales (PCRS)” are measures developed in the early 2000s by Self-Determination Theory scholars Avi Assor, Guy Roth, Richard M. Ryan, and Edward L. Deci (see Assor, Roth, & Deci 2004; Assor, Roth, Niemiec, Ryan, & Deci, 2009) to assess the impact of parental conditional regard on children. These scales measure the extent to which parents provide love and approval contingent on the child’s behavior, either in positive (conditional positive regard) or negative (conditional negative regard) terms.

Key Aspects of the PCRS

1. Parental Conditional Positive Regard (PCPR):
   • This dimension assesses the extent to which parents express more affection, warmth, and approval when the child meets their expectations or behaves in desired ways.
   • Example items: “My mother/father shows me more move when I do well in school.”
2. Parental Conditional Negative Regard (PCNR):
   • This dimension measures the degree to which parents withdraw affection, show disapproval, or become cold when the child fails to meet their expectations or engages in undesired behaviors.
   • Example Items: “My mother/father is less friendly with me when I disappoint them.”

Parental Conditional Regard Scales – Academics (PCRS-Academics)

• Focus on Academic Context:
  • The PCRS-Academics is a variant of the original scales, specifically designed to measure conditional regard in the context of academic achievement.
  • This scale captures the specific ways in which parents’ approval or disapproval is contingent upon their child’s academic performance.
• Example Items:
  • Positive: “My mother/father shows me more love when I get good grades.”
  • Negative: “My mother/father is less friendly with me when I don’t do well in school.”

Development and Validation

• Psychometric Properties:
  • The scales were developed and validated through rigorous psychometric testing, ensuring their reliability and validity across different contexts.
  • Factor analyses typically support the two-dimensional structure, confirming the distinct but related nature of positive and negative conditional regard.

Theoretical Background

• Self-Determination Theory (SDT):
  • SDT posits that human well-being and development are influenced by the fulfillment of basic psychological needs: autonomy, competence, and relatedness.
  • Conditional regard, especially negative, is hypothesized to thwart these needs, leading to negative outcomes such as internal pressure, contingent self-esteem, and emotional maladjustment.

Impact and Applications

• Child Development:
  • Research using the PCRS and PCRS-Academics has shown that high levels of parental conditional regard are associated with various negative developmental outcomes, including increased anxiety, lower self-esteem, and reduced autonomous motivation.
  • Conditional positive regard, although sometimes seen as supportive, can also have negative effects by promoting external motivation and contingent self-worth.
• Parental Guidance:
  • The findings derived from the use of PCRS inform parenting programs and interventions aimed at promoting healthier parenting practices that support children’s intrinsic motivation and psychological well-being.

The PCRS and its academic variant provide valuable insights into the dynamics of parent-child relationships, emphasizing the importance of unconditional positive regard for healthy child development and the potential drawbacks of contingent parenting strategies.