Confirmatory factor analysis and reliability of the parental play beliefs scale Thai version in preschooler parents

Abstract

The development of a reliable measurement tool to assess parental play beliefs is crucial for gaining a deeper understanding of their significance in children’s development. This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Parental Play Beliefs Scale (PPBS) Thai version. The original questionnaire, developed by Fogle and Mendez (Fogle and Mendez in Early Child Res Q 21:507–518, 2006), assesses parental perspectives on play’s role in child development through two dimensions: Play Support and Academic Focus. Following systematic translation according to Beaton’s framework, the PPBS Thai version underwent comprehensive psychometric testing with 399 parents of children aged 2–5 years recruited from four Thai provinces. Content validity was assessed by expert review, yielding Index of Item-Objective Congruence scores ranging from 0.67 to 1.00, with 29 of 30 items achieving perfect scores. Internal consistency analysis demonstrated acceptable reliability (‘s alpha = 0.783). Test-retest reliability showed strong temporal stability for the overall scale (r = 0.758, ICC = 0.885), excellent reliability for the Play Support subscale (r = 0.928, ICC = 0.958), and moderate reliability for Academic Focus subscale (r = 0.516, ICC = 0.607. Confirmatory factor analysis validated the original two-factor structure with adequate model fit. These robust psychometric properties support the PPBS Thai version as a valid and reliable instrument for assessing parental play beliefs within the Thai context, providing researchers and practitioners with a valuable tool for understanding how parental perspectives influence children’s play experiences and developmental outcomes in Thailand.