Table Of ContentFAMILY ASSESSMENT
Rationale, Methods, and
Future Directions
APPLIED CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY
Series Editors:
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and Michel Hersen, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Current Volumes in this Series
CHILDHOOD AGGRESSION AND VIOLENCE
Sources of Influence, Prevention, and Control
Edited by David H. Crowell, Ian M. Evans, and Clifford R. O'Donnell
FAMILY ASSESSMENT
Rationale, Methods, and Future Directions
Theodore Jacob and DanielL. Tennenbaum
FAMILY INTERACTION AND PSYCHOPATHOLOGY
Theories, Methods, and Findings
Edited by Theodore Jacob
HANDBOOK OF ASSESSMENT IN CHILDHOOD PSYCHOPATHOLOGY
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THE PRIV A IE PRACTICE OF BEHAVIOR THERAPY
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FAMILY ASSESSMENT
Rationale, Methods, and
Future Directions
Theodore Jacob
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
and
Daniel L. Tennenbaum
Kent Stale University
Kent, Ohio
SPRINGER SCIENCE+BUSINESS MEDIA, LLC
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
jacob, Theodore.
Family assessment: rationale, methods, and future directions 1 Theodore Jacob and
Daniel L. Tennenbaum.
p. cm.-(Applied clinica! psychology)
Bibliography: p.
Includes index.
ISBN 978-0-306-42755-8 ISBN 978-1-4899-0801-8 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-1-4899-0801-8
1. Family psychotherapy. 1. Tennenbaum, Daniel L. Il. Title. III. Series. [DNLM: 1. Fami
ly. 2. Interpersonal Relations. 3. Psychopathology-methods. WM 100 ll53f]
RC488.5.]347 1988
616.89'156-dc19 88-2319
CIP
This limited facsimile edition has been issued
for the purpose of keeping this title available
to the scientific community.
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
© 1988 Springer Science+Business Media New York
Originally published by Plenum Press, New York in 1988
AII rights reserved
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PREFACE
The purpose of this book is to review existing and developing
family assessment methods relevant to the study of psycho
pathology. It is our intention not only to inform clinical re
searchers of the many valuable family assessment methods that
are available, but also to encourage the incorporation of such
procedures into future research efforts. In so doing, we believe
that our understanding of the etiology, course, treatment, and
prevention of adult and childhood disorders will be greatly
enriched.
The book begins with an overview of the larger social and
intellectual forces which have led to the current interest in study
ing family influences on psychopathology in children and adoles
cence. For each "stream of influence," we attempt to highlight
theoretical and methodological contributions relevant to the fami
ly's role in the etiology, exacerbation, and treatment of childhood
disorders. Next, a framework for classifying family measurement
procedures is introduced in which three major dimensions are
emphasized: unit of analysis, source of data, and construct as
sessed. The third and most important chapter provides detailed
reviews of a selected number of methods within each of the major
groupings that have been delimited, references and brief descrip
tions of other measures that cannot be reviewed in detail, and a
discussion of the promising and developing techniques that are
known to the authors. Finally a concluding chapter attempts to
identify major gaps in this literature, elaborates on several devel-
v
vi PREFACE
oping techniques referred to in the previous chapter, indicates
critical issues of methodology (strengths and limitations) that
characterize the various types of family measures, and suggests
theoretical and methodological studies that future research efforts
could profitably address.
Our efforts in preparing this volume were aided by many
people. The initial impetus for this undertaking was an invitation
by Hussain Tuma to contribute a chapter on family assessment to
his edited book, Assessment and Diagnosis of Child and Adolescent
Psychopathology. In the early formative period, David Reiss ex
erted an important influence on the organization and direction of
our thinking. We would also like to thank Cynthia Bost, Sheri
Johnson, Deborah Bremer, Richard Finklestein, and especially
Kay Bargiel for their contributions to this project. Additionally,
we are very grateful for the support we received from various
individuals and agencies: forT. J., the University of Arizona De
partment of Family Studies, and NIAAA Grants ROl AA03037
and K02 AA00027; and for D.T., the Kent State University Depart
ment of Psychology, and an NIAAA Postdoctoral Fellowship in
Alcohol Epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh under the
direction of Nancy Day.
Finally, our own families have been a continuing source of
inspiration throughout this process: on Ted's side-Miriam,
Charlotte, Jules, Brian, and Julie; and on Dan's side-Iris, Stella,
Elie, Vallery, and Marc. To them, we dedicate this book.
Theodore Jacob
DanielL. Tennenbaum
Tucson and Kent
CONTENTS
1. Family Research: Streams of Influence . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
I. Family Sociology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
II. Systems/Communications Theory . . . . . . . . . . . 4
III. Child and Developmental Psychology . . . . . . . . 6
IV. Social Learning Theory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
2. Classifying Family Measurement Procedures . . . . . . . . 13
I. Data Source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
II. Unit of Assessment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
III. Constructs Assessed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
A. Affect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
B. Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
C. Communication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
D. Systems Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
3. Detailed Review of Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
I. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
II. Individual Assessments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
A. Communication Deviance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
III. Relationship Assessments: Questionnaires
Regarding Marital Relationships . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
A. Marital Adjustment Test (MAT) . . . . . . . . . 31
B. Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DA) . . . . . . . . . . 33
C. Areas of Change Questionnaire (ACQ) . . 36
v.ii
viii CONTENTS
D. Marital Satisfaction Inventory (MSI) . . . . . . 39
E. Primary Communication Inventory (PCI) . 41
F. The Sexual Interaction Inventory (SII) . . . 43
G. Relationship Belief Inventory (RBI) . . . . . . . 46
H. Conflict Tactic Scales (CT) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
I. Other Marital Scales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
IV. Relationship Assessments: Questionnaires
Regarding Parent-Child Relationships . . . . . . . 52
A. Structural Analysis of Social Behavior
(SASB)................................ 53
B. Child Report of Parental Behavior
Inventory (CRPBI) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
C. Parent-Adolescent Communication Scale
(PAC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
D. Parent-Child Areas of Change
Questionnaire (PC-ACQ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
V. Relationship Assessments: Questionnaires
Regarding Sibling Relationships . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
A. The Sibling Relationship Questionnaire . . 67
VI. Relationship Assessments: Questionnaires
Regarding Whole Families . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
A. Family Environment Scale (FES) . . . . . . . . . 70
B. Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scales
II (FACES II) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
C. Family Assessment Measures
(FAM) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
D. Family Crisis-Oriented Personal
Evaluation Scales (F-COPES) . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
VII. Relationship Assessments: Structured
Interviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
A. Expressed Emotion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
B. Family Ritual Interview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
VIII. Relationship Assessments: Quasi-
Observational Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
A. Parent Daily Report (PDR) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
B. Spouse Observation Checklist
(SOC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
C. Parent-Adolescent Observation Schedule
(PCOS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
CONTENTS ix
D. Sibling Observation Schedule
(SOS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
IX. Laboratory Observational Procedures:
()utcome ~easures...... .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
A. Card Sort Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
B. Revealed Difference Technique (ROT) . . . 106
C. Family Hierarchy Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
X. Laboratory Observational Procedures: Coding
Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
A. Marital Interaction Coding System
(MICS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
B. Specific Affect Coding System (SPAFF) . . 121
C. Relational Communication Coding System
(RELCOM) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
D. Constraining and Enabling Coding
System (CECS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
E. Other Laboratory Coding Systems . . . . . . . 133
F. Coding of Family Interactions with
Younger Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
XI. Laboratory Observational Procedures: Rating
Scales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
A. The Marital Communication Rating Scale
(MCRaS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
B. The Communication Rapid Assessment
Scale (CRAS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
XII. Naturalistic Observational Procedures . . . . . . . . 144
A. Family Interaction Coding System (FICS) 145
B. Home Observation Assessment Method
(HOAM) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
C. Home Interaction Scoring System (HISS) . 153
4. Conclusions and Future Directions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
I. General Limitations of Report and
Observational Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
II. Within-Method Assessments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
III. Correspondence between Methods . . . . . . . . . . 165
IV. Underdeveloped Assessment Targets and
Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
