APA Dictionary of Psychology

an instrument used to assess stress in parent–child interactions and to identify potentially dysfunctional parenting behaviors or potential behavior problems in the child. It currently consists of 120 questionnaire items to which parents respond using a 5-point Likert scale format, ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree. Originally published in 1983, the PSI is now in its fourth edition. [developed by U.S. educational psychologist Richard R. Abidin (1938–  )]