Examining the Validity and Reliability of the Child-parent Relationship Scale among Malaysian Preschoolers

The quality of child–parent relationships plays a central role in shaping children’s socio-emotional and literacy development. However, the lack of validated instruments in multicultural contexts such as Sabah limits systematic examination of these dynamics. This study examined the construct validity and reliability of the Child–Parent Relationship Scale-Short Form (CPRS-SF) in measuring the dimensions of conflict and closeness among preschoolers. Cronbach’s alpha values indicated high internal consistency for both subscales (conflict α = 0.899; closeness α = 0.941). Exploratory factor analysis further supported construct validity, with Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) measures of 0.907 and 0.888 and statistically significant Bartlett’s tests (p < .001), demonstrating that the dataset was suitable for factor analysis. These results demonstrate that the CPRS-SF is both reliable and valid for use in the Sabah context. The findings carry important implications for research, practice, and policy. The validated instrument provides researchers with a robust tool to explore the influence of parenting relationships on child outcomes, while offering practitioners and policymakers evidence-based support for designing interventions that strengthen family interactions. By validating the CPRS-SF in a multilingual and multicultural setting, this study contributes to methodological rigor in early childhood research and highlights the need for further validation across diverse populations and longitudinal contexts.