Tasha Soh

After obtaining her BSocSci (Hons) in Psychology from NTU, Tasha pursued a Master’s degree at NIE, where she explored sensitive parenting within the BE POSITIVE cohort. Watching the varied interactions between parent-child dyads deepened her fascination with the relational dynamics between parents and young children, and sparked her interest to uncover the ecology of Singaporean families. This led her to pursue an interdisciplinary PhD, where she aims to investigate the ecology of parenting in Singapore, starting with the concept of filial piety. 

Development and Validation of the Children’s Filial Behaviors Scale 

Filial piety, encompassing respect and support for parents, is a fundamental value in many Asian families, shaping parent-child relationships throughout a child’s life. While extensively studied in adulthood, the development and socialization of filial attitudes or behaviors in earlier developmental stages remain less explored. This study addresses this gap by creating and validating a developmentally sensitive assessment of filial behaviors displayed in childhood and adolescence, which are not adequately captured by existing measures. Derived from a literature review, 12 items were generated to assess concrete filial behaviors. A sample of 13-year-old children (n = 282) from Singapore’s birth cohort study reported on their filial behaviors toward parents, along with other parent-child relationship variables. Parents (n = 278) also reported on their children’s filial behaviors. Exploratory factor analyses yielded two factors in both samples: the Respect and Compliance (6 items; e.g., “I do what my parent(s) ask me to do right away”) and Affectionate Regard dimensions (4 items; e.g., “I let my parent(s) know I love them”). The two factors were significantly correlated, r = .68 in children and r = .55 in parents, with parent-child correlations ranging from .28 to .30. The scale demonstrated good reliabilities in both samples (Cronbach’s as > .76). It also displayed positive associations with perceived parental warmth and inverse associations with harsh parenting practices (i.e., physical discipline, psychological aggression), with slight variations in the extent across dimensions. This scale can serve as a useful tool for researching parent-child bonding during childhood and adolescence.