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. 2022 May 23;19(10):6345.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph19106345.

The Prospective Co-Parenting Relationship Scale (PCRS) for Sexual Minority and Heterosexual People: Preliminary Validation

Daniela Leal  1 , Jorge Gato  1 , Susana Coimbra  1 , Fiona Tasker  2 , Samantha Tornello  3
Affiliations

The Prospective Co-Parenting Relationship Scale (PCRS) for Sexual Minority and Heterosexual People: Preliminary Validation

Daniela Leal et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

The coparenting relationship begins with a process of planning and negotiation about having children. Available psychological instruments have not been adapted to sexual minority people, which compromises their ecological validity. This mixed method study aimed to adapt and validate a prospective version of the Co-Parenting Relationship Scale in a Portuguese sample of sexual minority and heterosexual adults who did not have children and who were in a dyadic relationship. In study 1, cognitive interviews were used to gather participants' reflections about the original items and the role played by the family of origin and anticipated stigma in coparenting (n = 6). In study 2, using a sample of individuals from 18 to 45 years old, two Exploratory Factor Analyses (EFA) were conducted separately for sexual minority (n = 167) and heterosexual persons (n = 198), and a Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was conducted for heterosexual persons (n = 176). Results showed underscored the importance of families of origin independent of sexual orientation. Different factorial structures for sexual minority and heterosexual persons were observed. Among sexual minority persons, the role of stigma was also highlighted. Implications for practice and research are discussed.

Keywords: coparenting; familism; prospective coparenting; sexual minority; stigma.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Procedure used to adapt and validate the Prospective Co-Parenting Relationship Scale [2,12].
Figure 2
Figure 2
Thematic map of the themes obtained through cognitive interviews regarding prospective coparenting relationship.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Final Factorial Structure of Prospective Coparenting Relationship Scale (PCRS) in a Heterosexual Sample, N = 176.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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