Reliability of the Five-Factor Model for Determining Parental Alienation

Abstract

Mental health practitioners (MHPs) need a reliable assessment tool for parental alienation (PA). This study assesses the reliability of the Five-Factor Model (FFM) asserted to test for PA. The FFM contains five criteria; Yes, responses to each of the five criterion is asserted to indicate PA is occurring. Six vignettes were presented to respondents, who provided a response for each of the five criteria. The Intraclass Correlation Coefficient indicated reliability with an average of 0.923 for all vignettes. The Cronbach Alpha values indicate consistency, with an average of 0.926. FFM was determined to be a reliable assessment tool for PA.

Keywords:

• Parental alienation
• reliability
• child abuse
• domestic violence
• Five-Factor Model

Acknowledgments

We confirm that the manuscript has been read and approved by all named authors and that there are no other persons who satisfied the criteria for authorship but are not listed. We further confirm that the order of authors listed in the manuscript has been approved by all of us. We confirm that we have given due consideration to the protection of intellectual property associated with this work and that there are no impediments to publication, including the timing of publication, with respect to intellectual property. We further confirm that any aspect of the work covered in this manuscript that has involved either experimental animals or human patients has been conducted with the ethical approval of all relevant bodies and that such approvals are acknowledged within the manuscript. We are both independent social researchers, under no publication obligations or contracts with any university. We understand that the Corresponding Author is the sole contact for the Editorial process (including Editorial Manager and direct communications with the office). He/she is responsible for communicating with the other authors about progress, submissions of revisions and final approval of proofs. We confirm that we have provided a current, correct email address which is accessible by the Corresponding Author. Signed by all authors as follows: Stephen Lee Morrison and Robyn Ring.

Disclosure statement

We wish to confirm that there are no known conflicts of interest associated with this publication and there has been no significant financial support for this work that could have influenced its outcome.