Alabama Parenting Questionnaire (APQ)

(Parent Form)
Child's Name:

ID #:

Parent completing form:

Mother

Father

Other:

Instructions: The following are a number of statements about your family. Please rate each item as to
how often it TYPICALLY occurs in your home. The possible answers are Never (1), Almost Never (2),
Sometimes (3), Often (4), Always (5). PLEASE ANSWER ALL ITEMS.

Never Almost Sometimes Often Always

Never

1. You have a friendly

talk with your child. 1 2 3 4 5

2. You let your child know

when he/she is doing a 1 2 3 4 5
good job with something.

3. You threaten to punish

your child and then do 1 2 3 4 5
not actually punish
him/her.

4. You volunteer to help

with special activities that 1 2 3 4 5
your child is involved in
(such as sports, boy/girl
scouts, church youth
groups).

5. You reward or give

something extra to your 1 2 3 4 5
child for obeying you or
behaving well.

6. Your child fails to leave

a note or to let you know 1 2 3 4 5
where he/she is going.

7. You play games or do

other fun things with your 1 2 3 4 5
child.

8. Your child talks you out

of being punished after 1 2 3 4 5
he/she has done
something wrong.
9. You ask your child
about his/her day in 1 2 3 4 5
school.

10. Your child stays out in

the evening past when 1 2 3 4 5
he/she is supposed to be
home.

11. You help your child

with his/her homework. 1 2 3 4 5

12. You feel that getting

your child to obey you is 1 2 3 4 5
more trouble than it’s
worth.

13. You compliment your

child when he/she does 1 2 3 4 5
something well.

14. You ask your child

about his/her plans for 1 2 3 4 5
the coming day.

15. You drive your child

to a special activity. 1 2 3 4 5

16. You praise your child

if he/she behaves well. 1 2 3 4 5

17. Your child is out with

friends you do not know. 1 2 3 4 5

18. You hug or kiss your

child when he/she has 1 2 3 4 5
done something well.

19. Your child goes out

without a set time to be 1 2 3 4 5
home.

20. You talk to your child

about his/her friends. 1 2 3 4 5

21. Your child is out after

dark without an adult with 1 2 3 4 5
him/her.

22. You let your child out

of a punishment early 1 2 3 4 5
(like lift restrictions earlier
than you originally said).

23. Your child helps plan

family activities. 1 2 3 4 5
24. You get so busy that
you forget where your 1 2 3 4 5
child is and what he/she
is doing.

25. Your child is not

punished when he/she 1 2 3 4 5
has done something
wrong.

26. You attend PTA

meetings, parent/teacher 1 2 3 4 5
conferences, or other
meetings at your child's
school.

27. You tell your child

that you like it when 1 2 3 4 5
he/she helps out around
the house.

28. You don't check that

your child comes home 1 2 3 4 5
at the time he/she was
supposed to.

29. You don't tell your

child where you are 1 2 3 4 5
going.

30. Your child comes

home from school more 1 2 3 4 5
than an hour past the
time you expect him/her.

31. The punishment you

give your child depends 1 2 3 4 5
on your mood.

32. Your child is at home

without supervision. 1 2 3 4 5

33. You spank your child

with your hand when 1 2 3 4 5
he/she has done
something wrong.

34. You ignore your child

when he/she is 1 2 3 4 5
misbehaving.

35. You slap your child

when he/she has done 1 2 3 4 5
something wrong.

36. You take away

privileges or money from 1 2 3 4 5
your child as a privilege.
 37. You send your child
to his/her room as a 1 2 3 4 5
punishment.

38. You hit your child with

a belt, switch, or other 1 2 3 4 5
object when he/she has
done something wrong.

39. You yell or scream at

your child when he/she 1 2 3 4 5
has done something
wrong.

40. You calmly explain to

your child why his/her 1 2 3 4 5
behavior was wrong
when he/she
misbehaves.

41. You use time out

(make him/her sit or 1 2 3 4 5
stand in a corner) as a
punishment.

42. You give your child

extra chores as a 1 2 3 4 5
punishment.

Scoring for Parent Form:

The items on the adult form are categorized into five subscales as follows:
Involvement: 1, 4, 7, 9, 11, 14, 15, 20, 23, 26

Positive Parenting: 2, 5, 13, 16, 18, 27

Poor Monitoring/Supervision: 6, 10, 17, 19, 21, 24, 28, 29, 30, 32
Inconsistent Discipline: 3, 8, 12, 22, 25, 31
Corporal Punishment: 33, 35, 39

No reverse coding necessary.

Sum all items in the scale to obtain a total scale score (you may subtract this score by the number
of items in the subscale so that the score range begins at zero).
Other Discipline Practices is not a scale, but provides information on an item by item basis.
Numbers for these items are: 34, 36, 37, 39, 40, 41, 42
 Alabama Parenting Questionnaire

(Child Form)

Instructions: The following are a number of statements about your family. Please rate each item as to
how often it TYPICALLY occurs in your home. The possible answers are Never (1), Almost Never (2),
Sometimes (3), Often (4), Always (5). PLEASE ANSWER ALL ITEMS.

Never Almost Sometimes Often Always

Never

1. You have a friendly

talk with your mom. 1 2 3 4 5

A. How about your dad?

1 2 3 4 5

2. Your parents tell you

that you are doing a good 1 2 3 4 5
job.

3. Your parents threaten

to punish you and then 1 2 3 4 5
do not do it.

4. Your mom helps with

some of your special 1 2 3 4 5
activities (such as sports,
boy/girl scouts, church
youth groups).

A. How about your dad?

1 2 3 4 5

5. Your parents reward or

give something extra to 1 2 3 4 5
you for behaving well.

6. You fail to leave a note

or let your parents know 1 2 3 4 5
where you are going.

7. You play games or do

other fun things with your 1 2 3 4 5
mom.

A. How about your dad?

1 2 3 4 5

8. You talk your parents

out of punishing you after 1 2 3 4 5
you have done
something wrong.
9. Your mom asks you
about your day in school. 1 2 3 4 5

A. How about your dad?

1 2 3 4 5

10. You stay out in the

evening past the time 1 2 3 4 5
you are supposed to be
at home.

11. Your mom helps you

with your homework. 1 2 3 4 5

A. How about your dad?

1 2 3 4 5

12. Your parents give up

trying to get you to obey 1 2 3 4 5
them because it's too
much trouble.

13. Your parents

compliment you when 1 2 3 4 5
you have done
something well.

14. Your mom asks you

what your plans are for 1 2 3 4 5
the coming day.

A. How about your dad?

1 2 3 4 5

15. Your mom drives you

to a special activity. 1 2 3 4 5

A. How about your dad?

1 2 3 4 5

16. Your parents praise

you for behaving well. 1 2 3 4 5

17. Your parents do not

know the friends you are 1 2 3 4 5
well.

18. Your parents hug or

kiss you when you have 1 2 3 4 5
done something well.

19. You go out without a

set time to be home. 1 2 3 4 5
20. Your mom talks to
you about your friends. 1 2 3 4 5

A. How about your dad?

1 2 3 4 5

21. You go out after dark

without an adult with you. 1 2 3 4 5

22. Your parents let you

out of a punishment early 1 2 3 4 5
(like lift restrictions earlier
than they originally said).

23. You help plan family

activities. 1 2 3 4 5

24. Your parents get so

busy that they forget 1 2 3 4 5
where you are and what
you are doing.

25. Your parents do not

punish you when you 1 2 3 4 5
have done something
wrong.

26. Your mom goes to a

meeting at school, like 1 2 3 4 5
PTA meeting or
parent/teach conference.

A. How about your dad?

1 2 3 4 5

27. Your parents tell you

that they like it when you 1 2 3 4 5
help out around the
house.

28. You stay out later

than you are supposed to 1 2 3 4 5
and your parents don't
know it.

29. Your parents leave

the house and don't tell 1 2 3 4 5
you where they are
going.

30. You come home from

school more than an hour 1 2 3 4 5
past the time your
parents expect you to be
home.
31. The punishment your
parents give depend on 1 2 3 4 5
their mood.

32. You are at home

without an adult being 1 2 3 4 5
with you.

33. Your parents spank

you with their hand when 1 2 3 4 5
you have done
something wrong.

34. Your parents ignore

you when you are 1 2 3 4 5
misbehaving.

35. Your parents slap you

when you have done 1 2 3 4 5
something wrong.

36. Your parents take

away a privilege or 1 2 3 4 5
money from you as a
punishment.

37. Your parents send

you to your room as a 1 2 3 4 5
punishment.

38. Your parents hit you

with a belt, switch, or 1 2 3 4 5
other object when you
have done something
wrong.

39. Your parents yell or

scream at you when you 1 2 3 4 5
have done something
wrong.

40. Your parents calmly

explain to you why your 1 2 3 4 5
behavior was wrong
when you misbehave.

41. Your parents use time

out (makes you sit or 1 2 3 4 5
stand in a corner) as a
punishment.

42. Your parents give you

extra chores as a 1 2 3 4 5
punishment.
Scoring for Child Form:

The items on the child form are categorized into five subscales that are reflective of the parent
subscales:
Involvement: 1, 4, 7, 9, 11, 14, 15, 20, 23, 26 (there are two parts to each of these questions—one
for mother involvement and one for father involvement)

Positive Parenting: 2, 5, 13, 16, 18, 27

Poor Monitoring/Supervision: 6, 10, 17, 19, 21, 24, 28, 29, 30, 32
Inconsistent Discipline: 3, 8, 12, 22, 25, 31

Corporal Punishment: 33, 35, 39

No reverse coding necessary.

Sum all items in the scale to obtain a total scale score (you may subtract this score by the number
of items in the subscale so that the score range begins at zero).
Other Discipline Practices is not a scale, but provides information on an item-by-item basis.
Numbers for these items are: 34, 36, 37, 39, 40, 41, 42