Parental Mediation of Child’s Online Activity (Active)

What it measures

The scale measures a parent's active engagement in managing their child's online activity, capturing hands-on strategies like discussing, monitoring, and setting rules together.

Response format

7-point frequency (never to always)

Scale items

• Tell your child that the Internet depicts products better than they really are.
• Tell your child that advertising on the Internet does not always tell the truth.
• Tell your child that the purpose of advertising and marketing messages on the Web is to sell products.
• Tell your child that not all products appearing on the Internet are of good quality.
• Help your child understand the intention of ads on the Internet.
• Tell your child about the ways that companies collect and use personal information (e.g., name, phone number, etc.) online.

Full scale items shown. Always cite the original source when using this scale in research.

Usage notes & scoring

Vijayalakshmi, Lin, and Laczniak (2020) adapted six items from a 2010 dissertation by Shin measuring active mediation, administering it to parents of 10–15-year-olds via a Qualtrics panel. Reliability was strong (α = .89). Validity wasn't separately assessed.

Citation

Shin, W., Web, T.R.O.P.M.I.C.C.S.O.T., dissertation, D., Minnesota, U.O., Vijayalakshmi, H., Akshaya, , Lin, M., & Laczniak, R.N. (2020). Evaluating Adolescents’ Responses to Internet Ads: Role of Ad Skepticism, Internet Literacy, and Parental Mediation. Journal of Advertising, 49(3), 292–308.

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