Running Head: FACES IV 1
Presentation of a Psychological Test: Test: FACES IV (Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evalation Scale! Sarai Espino"a #i" $%PC&'' Psychological Testing Testing %r Elvin $abriel )*+,)+,)-'
2 Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evalation Scale (FACES IV! The Circmple. /odel of /arital and Family Systems0 1as developed by %avid 2 3lson0 Candyce #ssell0 %oglas Spren4le and %ean $orall in -*5* 3n the basis of this theoretical model the scale FACES (Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evalation! 1as developed in -*6)7 instrment that has developed over these nearly 8) years The Faces scales have been sed in over -,)) research stdies (9ogales V0 ,))5! The FACES 1as developed to assess three of Circmple. /odel of /arital and Family Systems dimensions: the family cohesion0 fle.ibility and commnication Cohesion is defined as the emotional bonding that family members have to1ard one another Fle.ibility is defined as the ality and e.pression of leadership and organi"ation0 role relationship and negotiation Finally0 Commnication is defined as the positive commnication s4ills tili"ed in the cople or family system (Schmidt0 ;arreyro0 < /aglio0 ,)-)! There have been for different editions7 the latest 1as FACES IV0 1hich 1as developed in =ife Innovations0 Inc /inneapolis0 /90 ,))& FACES IV is the latest version and the cost of the test is >*?)) This ne1 pgraded version of the FACES 1as developed to tap the fll continm of the cohesion and fle.ibility dimension from the Circmple. /odel (3lson0 ,)--! There are a variety of innovations integrated into FACES IV7 first0 si. scales ne1 (t1o balanced and for nbalanced! 1ere developed to assess the fll dimensions of cohesion and fle.ibility Second0 a revised definition of family fle.ibility 1as created to match the assessment scales A revised Circmple. /odel 1as created to plot the si. family scales ;esides0 a Profile Scoring System 1as developed to plot the si. FCES IV scales Finally0 five parenting styles 1ere integrated into the Circmple. /od el (3lson < $orall0 ,))&!
3 The central prpose of FACES IV is to provide a comprehensive assessment of family cohesion0 fle.ibility and commnication dimensions %esigned as self@report assessment for the Circmple. /odel of Cople and Family Systems0 FACES IV taps both balanced (healthy! and nbalanced (problematic! aspects of family fnctioning The poplation for 1hom the test is designed is family members from -, years and older (3lson < $orall0 ,))&! In order to assess the three maBor dimensions of the Circmple. /odel and other related family concepts0 FACES IV 1as developed0 1hich is a self@reported instrment and ses a mlti@method assessment The /lti@method assessment tili"es self@reported scales0 1hich provide an insiders perspective on the family relationship0 and the therapists ratings0 1hich provide and otsiders perspective on the same system In this case0 FACES IV provides the insiders perspective0 1hereas C#S (Clinical #ating Scale! completed by the therapist provides the otsiders perspective ;oth perspectives are sefl0 bt they often yield apparently conflicting data 2o1ever0 sed together0 they help captre the comple.ity of marital and family systems (3lson < $orall0 ,))8! According to 3lson and $orall (,))&! The FACES IV featres and scoring gidelines are: a! Si. ne1 family scales: These si. scales assess the dimensions of family cohesion and family fle.ibility from the Circmple. /odel These si. scales inclde t1o balanced and for nbalanced scales These scales have very good levels of reliability and validity There are seven items in each scale0 ma4ing a total of ', items in FACES IV b! ! T1o ;alanced Scales: These t1o scales are called ;alanced Cohesion and ;alanced Fle.ibility These scores are linear scales so that the higher the score0 the more positive
4 c! For nbalanced Scales: These for scales assess the lo1 and high e.tremes of the t1o dimensions called %isengaged and Enmeshed for the Cohesion dimension and #igid and Chaotic for the Fle.ibility dimension The higher the score the more problematic the family system d! ;alanced+nbalanced #atio Score: This score is designed to assess the level of fnction+dysfnction in a family system and to assess crvilinearity The ratio scores0 is only for research stdies e! Si. Family Types: sing clster analysis of the si. FACES IV scales0 si. family types 1ere identified and they ranged from happy to nhappy and 1ere called: ;alanced0 #igidly Cohesive0 /idrange0 Fle.ibly nbalanced0 Chaotically nbalanced and nbalanced f! Profile Smmary: This profile is designed to plot the si. FACES IV scales along 1ith the Family Commnication and Family Satisfaction scales g! Plotting on the Circmple. /odel: sing dimension scores for cohesion and fle.ibility (based on the si. scales!0 it is possible to plot the location on the Circmple. /odel The findings from 3lson (,)--! stdy demonstrated that the si. scales created for FACES IV 1ere reliable and 1ere valid Content validity for the for nbalanced scales 1as fond based on family therapist from AA/FT 1ho described the items as accrately representing the for nbalanced areas Constrct validity 1as demonstrated by CFA and concrrent validity 1as fond sing three other family scales An alpha reliability analysis 1as condcted to e.amine the internal consistency of the si. scales #eliability of the si. FACES IV scales is as follo1s: Enmeshed D 550 %isengaged D 650 ;alanced Cohesion D 6*0 Chaotic D 6&0 ;alanced Fle.ibility D 6'0 #igid D 6, In general0 the alpha reliability 1as very good for all si. scales Three scores 1ere created for se in clinical 1or4 and research sing FACES IV0 and they are percentile scores0 ratio scores0 and dimension
5 scores Percentile scores can be sed for both research and clinical 1or4 #atio scores are only designed for research0 and dimension scores are only designed for plotting the scores onto the Circmple. /odel Percentile scores can be obtained for the si. scales0 t1o balanced and for nbalanced0 based on ra1 scores The percentile score can be sed clinically7 individal and mltiple family members scores on the si. scales can be plotted onto a smmary profile #atio scores can be sed to determine the ratio of balanced verss nbalanced scores0 and there is a cohesion ratio0 fle.ibility ratio0 and total circmple. ratio score %imension scores are sed for plotting the cohesion and fle.ibility onto the Circmple. /odel The dimension score adBst the balanced cohesion scores based on the difference bet1een the %isengaged and Enmeshed scales If the disengaged score is higher than enmeshed0 the balanced cohesion score is adBsted do1n1ard based on the si"e of the difference (3lson0 ,)--! There have been stdies that demonstrate that the Circmple. /odel has been sed 1ith diverse cople and family systems in terms of ethnicity+race0 marital stats0 family strctre0 se.al orientation0 stage of family li4e cycle0 and social class and edcational levels In fact0 FACES IV has been translated in different langages as French0 $ree40 2ngarian0 Italian0 Portgese0 and Spanish Also it has been standardi"ed in man y contries inclding contries in Erope0 America0 Soth@America and =atin America (3lson < $orall ,))8! 2o1ever0 one of the maBor limitations of the FACES IV 1as the sed of a convenience sample of more nonclinical families than clinical families These isse limits the variability in the scale scores and limit ho1 mch the reslts can be generali"ed to other more diverse families Therefore tit is recommended that ftre stdies 1ith FACES IV se clinical and nonclinical samples of coples and families Also0 it is important for the ftre development of FACES IV for the scale to be sed 1ith more
6 diverse poplations in terms of types of problems (drg abse0 delinency0 abse0 etc!0 and 4eep developing in terms of ethnicity and cltral bac4grond0 family si"e and strctre family income0 edcation and social class (3lson < $orall ,))&! In smmary0 FACES IV has enabled to achieve many goals7 one of the maBor ones0 is that offers a conceptal frame1or4 of family systems0 providing an inside and otside vie1 of the family typology0 dysfnctional relationships among the members0 and family satisfaction hich allo1s a better nderstanding of the individal on his specific family system And it also permits to help to overcome familys different dysfnctions and crisis throgh therapetic process
#eferences
7 9ogales V (,))5! FACES IV Ciencias Psicológicas0 I0 -*-@-*6 3lson0 % (,)--! FACES IV and the circmple. model: Validation stdy Journal of Marital and Family Therapy0 80 &'@6)
3lson0 %2 < $orall0 %/ (,))8! Circmple. model of marital and family systems Normal Family Processes0 80 ?-'@?'5
3lson0 %2 < $orall0 %/ (,))&! FACES IV < the circmple. model Normal Family Processes0 ?0 -@,)
Schmidt0 V0 ;arreyro0 P0 < /aglio0 A = (,)-)! Family fnctioning evalation scale FACES III: /odel of t1o or three factors?. Escritos de Psicologia0 80 8)@8&
