Assessing Parental Alienation: Empirical Assessment of College Students' Recollections of Parental Alienation During Their Childhoods

Abstract

Using characteristics of parental alienation syndrome (PAS) and related concepts as a conceptual guide, the authors created an assessment tool to measure young adults' perceptions of experiencing parental alienation during childhood. A sample of undergraduates (N = 227) completed the newly developed Relationship Distancing Questionnaire (RDQ) as well as the Mother–Father Peer Scale, Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment, and Children's Perceptions of Interparental Conflict Scale. Results suggested one's perception of experiencing parental alienation is a diverse construct and has adequate psychometric properties. The RDQ is the first empirical assessment of perceived parental alienation during childhood. Attention is called to the importance of both the RDQ as a retrospective measure and the need for a valid assessment of a contemporaneous measure of parental alienation.

Keywords:

• alienated child
• assessment
• conflict
• divorce
• parent–child relationships
• parental alienation

Notes

Jennifer Gerber Moné now works in private practice in Denver, Colorado. She was affiliated with Colorado State University during the writing of this article.