Demographic correlates and factor structure of the Family Environment Scale

Since traditional psychological assessment instruments focus mainly on the characteristics of individuals, techniques for systematically measuring social environments may help to increase assessment validity. One of the best developed environmental measures is the Family Environment Scale (FES), a 90-item inventory with 10 subscales that assess interpersonal relationships, personal development goals, and organizational structure. A study was conducted in which FES subscale scores of 204 families were factor analyzed and correlated with family demographic characteristics. The obtained factor structure showed two major factors similar to "control" and "acceptance-rejection" dimensions found in previous research. Number of children in a family was related positively to control and negatively to acceptance. Family socioeconomic status was correlated positively with the degree of participation in cultural and recreational activities. The results are seen as supporting the use of the FES as part of multimethod assessments of family environment and indicating the need for FES norms to be adjusted for relevant demographic characteristics.