Measurement of parent–child quality time: psychometric properties, measurement invariance, and demographic differences

This research project sought to create dependable and validated tools for gauging the quality of time spent together between parents and children, as experienced by both parties. Two distinct versions of the Parent-Child Quality Time Scale (PCQTS) were crafted for parents and children respectively. The study gathered data from 1971 children and 1684 parents, who took part in the investigation across three different administrations in 2025.

Analyzing the data using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses revealed a two-factor structure for both the parent and child versions of the PCQTS. These factors encompassed "Quality of Time Spent Together" and "Planning Time and Doing Activities Together." Item response theory analyses demonstrated that the items within the scales possessed a high level of discrimination, meaning they effectively differentiated between varying levels of quality time perception.

Further analysis confirmed that measurement invariance existed across gender and school levels. This indicated that the PCQTS instruments were able to consistently measure parent-child quality time regardless of these demographic factors. When comparing the perceived quality time across different demographics, the study found statistically significant differences associated with parental education, household income, child's school level, and the number of siblings.

The researchers concluded that the PCQTS instruments are a valuable addition to the existing literature and can be effectively utilized in family-focused intervention programs. They expressed gratitude to all the children and parents who participated in the study. The research adhered to the ethical guidelines set forth by the Social and Human Sciences Ethics Committee of Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University and the Ministry of National Education.

The study was approved under Decision No. 18/57 (March 7, 2025) and permitted by Ministry of National Education (MEB.TT.2025.020882, March 18, 2025). All participants provided informed consent before taking part in the research. The work was carried out in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinski.