Evaluating the filial behaviour scale across three cultural groups using exploratory structural equation modelling

Abstract

Filial piety is a Confucian concept that guides how children treat and take care of their parents. The Filial Behavior Scale (FBS) is a 25-item instrument developed in the Chinese context measuring behavioral manifestations of filial piety. Although the components of filial piety have been found to be relevant across cultures, little research has investigated the psychometric properties of the FBS in other cultural contexts. The present study evaluated the factor structure, internal consistency, measurement invariance, and construct validity of the FBS across three cultural groups: the United States, Italy, and Malaysia. Participants were 1,090 emerging adults (67% females; Mage = 21.29 years, SD = 1.97; White Americans: n = 455, White Italians: n = 428, Malays: n = 328). A two-factor structure emerged across groups: Obedience/Obligation (behaviors showing obedience and obligation towards parents) and Relationship (behaviors expressing affection and promoting positive parent-child relationships). The two factors demonstrated adequate internal consistency, full configural, partial metric, and partial scalar invariance, as well as unique associations with depressive symptoms and parent-child relationships across groups. These findings yielded a more nuanced understanding of filial behavior and supported the utility of a two-factor FBS among emerging adults in various cultural contexts.