Constructing the “Family Assessment Inventory (FAI)”.

―Measuring Family Functioning―

Abstract

　　The purpose of this study was to devise a questionnaire for family assessment and to check on its reliability and validity.

　　In a preparatory study, a sample of 227 families (father, mother and child; junior highschool student) were administered a questionnaire made up of 61-items about family functioning, eliminating inappropriate items.

　　Consequently, a 53-items questionnaire was devised and administered to a new sample of 524 families to compose the FAI (family assessment inventory). From the rotated equamax factor analysis, four factors were extracted. The factor structure for each subsamples (father, mother, and child) resembled each other closely. Results of three-mode principal component analysis showed that the factor structures of the father and mother subgroups were almost the same.

　　The FAI was further improved into a 30-items questionnaire developed out of the first attempt and was administered to a new sample of 417 families in order to check its reliability and factor validity. The Cronbach alphas for the 5 subscales ranged from .60 to .86. Results of the rotated equamax factor analysis were similar to those based on the first F AL At the same time, external validity was checked by using the family strength scale (FSS) on the same sample to give correlations between FSS and subscales of FAI. The correlations ranged from .46 to .79. The results were not in full agreement with the hypotheses based on Olson's circumplex model, but in case studies of three families that had some problems, results in accordance to Olson's hypotheses were found.

　　In conclusion, the FAI has been proven reliable and valid for estimating family functioning which is closely related clinical problems. However for large scale implement, there is some room for improvement.