Development and validation of the remote parenting scale for chinese left-behind adolescents.

This study aimed to develop and validate a Remote Parenting Scale for left-behind adolescents in China. Study 1 (N = 280) conducted item analysis and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) on the initial scale. Eleven items were removed due to insufficient discriminability, low homogeneity, inadequate factor loadings, or cross-loadings, resulting in a 12-item finalized scale with two dimensions: Remote Support and Remote Control, which together explained 58.862% of the total variance. Study 2 (N = 281) examined reliability and validity in an independent sample. The two subscales demonstrated good internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.839-0.885), and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) indicated satisfactory model fit (χ2/df = 2.236, RMSEA = 0.066, SRMR = 0.045, GFI = 0.933, NFI = 0.926, IFI = 0.958, TLI = 0.947, CFI = 0.957), supporting structural, convergent, and discriminant validity. Study 3 (N = 287) assessed criterion-related validity by computing correlations between the Remote Parenting Scale and other criterion measures, including online parent-child communication, family support, harsh parenting, parent-child intimacy, emotional symptoms, and prosocial behavior. All correlations between scale dimensions and criterion variables were statistically significant. Overall, the Remote Parenting Scale demonstrated satisfactory psychometric properties and provides a reliable tool for assessing remote parenting behaviors among Chinese left-behind adolescents.