A Psychometric Investigation of the FACES-III: Confirmatory Factor Analysis with Replication

The Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales—III has been frequently used to measure the family environment. Although some data exist attesting to the reliability and validity of FACES-III data, the underlying factor structure of the instrument has not been assessed using a confirmatory methodology. The present research used data from a sample of 922 families with children having disabilities to conduct a confirmatory factor analysis. Results suggest that the structure of the instrument proposed by the author did not provide an acceptable fit to the data. Post-hoc model fitting identified 3-Factor solutions for the Actual and Ideal Scales as superior based on fit statistics and replication. The Cohesion Scale as originally proposed by the authors of the instrument remained intact. The original Adaptability Scale was divided into two scales, Adaptability, which focused on change in leadership and rules within the family, and Discipline and Control which targeted the role of children in the family system. The present results are consistent with challenges to the adaptability scale, and supports other exploratory analyses of the instrument.     

Reconceptualizing Early Childhood Education: A Commentary

The Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales—III has been frequently used to measure the family environment. Although some data exist attesting to the reliability and validity of FACES-III data, the underlying factor structure of the instrument has not been assessed using a confirmatory methodology. The present research used data from a sample of 922 families with children having disabilities to conduct a confirmatory factor analysis. Results suggest that the structure of the instrument proposed by the author did not provide an acceptable fit to the data. Post-hoc model fitting identified 3-Factor solutions for the Actual and Ideal Scales as superior based on fit statistics and replication. The Cohesion Scale as originally proposed by the authors of the instrument remained intact. The original Adaptability Scale was divided into two scales, Adaptability, which focused on change in leadership and rules within the family, and Discipline and Control which targeted the role of children in the family system. The present results are consistent with challenges to the adaptability scale, and supports other exploratory analyses of the instrument.     

Interactions between Family Environment and Friendship and Associations with Self-Perceived Well-Being during Early Adolescence

Using a sample of 138 early adolescents and their parents, we examined the hypothesis that family and friendship measures would moderate each other's associations with measures of children's perceptions of their adjustment and well-being. Family environment was assessed by asking parents to complete the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scale II. A sociometric nomination procedure and the Friendship Quality Scale were completed by the subjects as assessments of reciprocity and quality in their best friendship relations. The Perceived Competence Scale for Children was used to assess children's adjustment. Stronger associations were observed between the family measures and the adjustment measures in children without a close friendship than in children with such a relationship. Also, friendship was more strongly linked to outcome measures for children from low adaptive and low cohesive families than for children in more adaptive and cohesive families. These findings indicate that experiences in the family and friendship domains interact in their associations with children's impressions of their adjustment during early adolescence.     

The Cross-Ethnic Equivalence of Parenting and Family Interaction Measures among Hispanic and Anglo-American Families

Recently there has been concern over the need for developmental research within ethnic minority populations and interest in family processes within, and variability across, ethnic groups. Unfortunately, most of the research using standard scales of family processes has sampled middle-class Anglo-Americans, and the potential absence of cross-ethnic measurement equivalence threatens the validity of the research using these scales with ethnic minority populations. This study reports confirmatory factor analyses and construct validity coefficients for several parenting and family interaction scales among Anglo-American and Hispanic 8-14-year-old children and mothers. The findings indicate that the Children's Report of Parental Behavior Inventory (except the hostile control subscale), the Parent-Adolescent Communication Scale (open communication subscale only), and the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales II appear to have sufficient cross-ethnic equivalence for English-speaking Hispanic samples. Further, the Family Routines Inventory and the problem communication subscale could benefit from additional scale development.     

Mothers' and Fathers' Perceptions of Family Functioning in Families Having Children With Disabilities

The present research investigated the relationship between mothers' and fathers' perceptions of family functioning in a sample of parents having children with disabilities using the Family Support Scale, the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale, and the Comprehensive Evaluation of Family Functioning. Analyses were conducted at the subscale and item level using a multivariate framework. Results support previous research indicating that mothers and fathers have different perceptions of family functioning, identify different stressors, and report different sources of support as helpful. Additionally, internal consistency reliability analyses for mothers and fathers suggests that some subscales should be interpreted with caution for fathers. Implications for early intervention services and assessment with this population are discussed.     

Relations among school connectedness,hope, life satisfaction,and bully victimization

This study investigates the role of school connectedness in mediating the relation between students' sense of hope and life satisfaction for three groups: Bullied Victims, Peer Victims, and Nonvictims. Students in grades 5 to 12 (N = 866) completed the California Bully/Victim Scale, School Connectedness Scale, Children's Hope Scale, and Students' Life Satisfaction Scale. Multigroup latent mean analysis revealed significant group mean differences in hope, school connectedness, and life satisfaction, supporting our bullying classification. Multigroup structural model analysis showed differential patterns between hope, school connectedness, and life satisfaction. Specifically, school connectedness partially mediated the relation between hope and life satisfaction for the Nonvictims only. The effect of hope on school connectedness was stronger for the Bullied Victims than the Nonvictims, and the effect of hope on life satisfaction was stronger for the Peer Victims and Bullied Victims than the Nonvictims group. Implications for research and practice are discussed. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Social Support and Optimism as Predictors of Life Satisfaction of College Students

The purpose of this study was to investigate the predictive value of optimism, perceived support from family and perceived support from faculty in determining life satisfaction of college students in Turkey. One hundred and thirty three students completed the Satisfaction with Life Scale (Diener et al., Journal of Personality Assessment 49(1):71–75, 1985), Perceived Social Support Scale-Revised (Yıldırım, Eğitim Araştırmaları–Eurasian, Journal of Educational Research 17:221–236, 2004), and Life Orientation Test (Scheier and Carver, Health Psychology 4(3):219–247, 1985) and provided demographic information about themselves. Independent samples t-test, correlation, and multiple regression analyses were performed for data analysis. Significant relationships were found among the variables, with regression analysis indicating that perceived support from family, perceived faculty support, and optimism were statistically significant predictors of life satisfaction. The implications of these results are discussed and suggestions made for counseling practice and future research.     

莆田学院教师工作满意度调查研究

采用冯伯麟编制的《教师工作满意度量表》和自己设计的《莆田学院教师工作满意度调查问卷》,对莆田学院的360名教师进行问卷调查,回收有效问卷314份,结果表明:男女教师相比较,女教师比男教师在职业引力、工作投入、工作压力和组织承诺四个方面更满意,在自我实现和社会认可两方面不满意,在领导关系、工资收入、学生品质和同事关系四个方面没有明显的差异;在职务因素上兼职教师比专职教师在自我实现、工作压力、工资收入、职业引力、工作投入、组织承诺和社会认可七个方面更满意;在职称因素上高职称教师在职业引力、自我实现、工资收入、工作压力、领导关系、组织承诺、社会认可和工作投入八个方面更满意。     

Family factors and parenting in Ukraine

The present study aimed to estimate the use of positive and negative parenting practices in Ukraine and explore relationships between parenting practices, intimate partner violence (IPV), alcohol use, and sociodemographics. Parents of children (N = 320) ages 9–16 from three Ukrainian regions answered questions from the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire (APQ), the Revised Conflict Tactics Scales (CTS-R), Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale (FACES), and the Alcohol Use Section of the Drinking and Drug History and Current Use Patterns questionnaire. Ukrainian parents who reported lower use of alcohol, balanced family functioning and lower intimate partner violence were more likely to use positive parenting and less likely to use negative parenting practices. Parents with lower education were more likely to use negative parenting practices. Furthermore, alcohol use, IPV, parent education and higher family income were significantly and indirectly related with positive and negative parenting scores. The model explained 61% of variance in the positive parenting, 67% in the negative parenting.     

Mothers' and Fathers' Perceptions of Family Functioning in Families Having Children With Disabilities

The present research investigated the relationship between mothers' and fathers' perceptions of family functioning in a sample of parents having children with disabilities using the Family Support Scale, the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale, and the Comprehensive Evaluation of Family Functioning. Analyses were conducted at the subscale and item level using a multivariate framework. Results support previous research indicating that mothers and fathers have different perceptions of family functioning, identify different stressors, and report different sources of support as helpful. Additionally, internal consistency reliability analyses for mothers and fathers suggests that some subscales should be interpreted with caution for fathers. Implications for early intervention services and assessment with this population are discussed.     

Comparing the job satisfaction of hourly paid and salaried preschool teachers in Turkey

This two-phase mixed-methods study compares the job satisfaction of Turkish preschool teachers who are paid hourly against the satisfaction of those on regular contracts. The participants in its first, quantitative phase were 260 preschool teachers, of whom 81 also participated in the second, qualitative phase. Initial data collection from all phase-one participants was via the Job Satisfaction Scale. Then, in phase two, the members of the hourly paid group were asked three open-ended questions, and the regular-contract teachers two of the same questions, related to the advantages and disadvantages of hourly paid teaching. The results indicated a significant difference in job satisfaction levels between the two types of teachers. None of the interactive effects between preschool teachers’ working status and their gender, age, marital status, and in-service training was statistically significant. In phase two, moreover, more than half of the 41 hourly paid teachers (n?=?22) emphasised that they worked as hourly for economic reasons, while more than a third (n?=?30) of the overall phase-two sample stated that there was no advantage of working as an hourly paid teacher. Working conditions for hourly paid teachers were described as disadvantageous by almost half the members of the phase-two sample (n?=?37).     

Education and Learning for the Elderly: Why,How, What

Seventy‐seven children of divorce and their selected grandparents completed questionnaires that included a demographic section, the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale‐II (FACES II; Olson, Bell, &; Portner, 1982) to assess their relationships, and an instrument designed to identify shared activities and desires in these areas. Partners had similar present and future perceptions of relationship and activity factors. All participants desired future increases in both areas. Grandchildren and grandparents connected emotional bonding with grandparents’ listening, keeping them safe, and gift giving; grandparents also thought a good relationship with the custodial parent was important. Most healthy and least healthy subgroups were identified. Membership in the healthiest group was related to geographic proximity, feminine gender for both partners, and being married and employed full‐time for grandparents. Grandparents who were related by blood to custodial parents, had a good relationship with them, and negotiated their role were more likely to have a healthier relationship. Helping professionals are encouraged to explore these variables as they help family members negotiate the grandparent‐grandchild relationship, use skill training to foster development in areas amenable to change, and use supportive tactics in areas of liability.     

家庭亲密度对高中生人际信任度的影响

家庭是个体社会化的第一场所,家庭成员之间的情感关系即家庭亲密度是影响个体健康发展的重要因素。采用《家庭亲密度与适应性量表中文版》(FACESⅡ-CV)和《人际信任量表》(IT)对XX附属中学和XX高中的350名学生进行团体施测,结果表明:高中生的人际信任度的总体水平偏低,显著低于常模水平;家庭亲密度对高中生的人际信任度有显著影响,家庭亲密度越高,高中生的人际信任水平也越高。要提高高中生的家庭亲密度,父母应保证与孩子的沟通时间,通过多种沟通方式了解孩子的想法,做到与孩子相互尊重与理解,让孩子信赖父母并愿意听取父母的人生建议。社会方面还可以通过创办家庭辅导学校等方式,帮助家长获得更先进的教育经验。     

Measuring procrastination: Psychometric properties of the Norwegian versions of the Irrational Procrastination Scale (IPS) and the Pure Procrastination Scale (PPS)

Procrastination has been defined in different ways. Two instruments—the Irrational Procrastination Scale (IPS) and the Pure Procrastination Scale (PPS)—focus on a core problem in procrastination—the irrational delay of intended behavior. The present paper examined the psychometric properties of the Norwegian translations of these scales. In five samples with students as well as non-students (aggregated n?=?1045), standard psychometric properties of the instruments were assessed and their factor structures were compared in replication analyses. In addition, correlations between the instruments as well as other instruments (i.e., the Susceptibility to Temptation Scale and the Satisfaction with Life Scale) were examined to determine convergent and divergent validity. Overall, the results indicated that both IPS and PPS are suitable for use as measures of procrastination.     

A Multi-Instrument Examination of Preschool Classroom Quality and the Relationship Between Program,Classroom, and Teacher Characteristics

Research Findings: A statewide study of preschool classroom quality was conducted using 3 distinct classroom observation measures in order to inform a statewide quality rating system. Findings suggested that Tennessee preschool classrooms were approaching “good” quality on the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale–Revised (ECERS-R) and provided a mid-to-high emotional and engaging climate as indicated by the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) domains of Emotional Support and Student Engagement. However, classrooms were only minimal on the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale–Extension and the CLASS Instructional Support domain. Past performance on a state quality rating assessment consistently predicted the current quality of preschool classrooms as assessed by all 3 measures. Lead teachers' education in early childhood and experience were also predictors across quality measures. Practice or Policy: Tennessee preschool classrooms scored higher on the ECERS-R, which is the measure utilized in the statewide Quality Rating and Improvement System. However, classrooms generally performed poorly on measures of instructional support and curriculum. This finding illuminates the importance of the tool selected to measure quality in state quality rating and improvement systems and has implications for policy as states work to build systems that enhance quality in early care and education.     

Comparisons of observed process quality in early child care and education programs in five countries

In this cross-national study, observed process quality in preschool classrooms was compared across five countries—Austria (n = 37), Germany (n=103), Portugal (n=88), Spain (n=80), and the U.S.A. (n=390). Process quality was assessed using the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS) and the Caregiver Interaction Scale (CIS). Both instruments had comparable properties when used in the different countries. A MANOVA found overall ECERS differences between countries, with Austria and Germany scoring higher than Spain, and Austria higher than the U.S.A. CIS Sensitivity scale differences showed Austria and Spain with higher scores than the U.S.A. Tests of homogeneity of variance showed U.S.A. with the highest standard deviations. A discriminant analysis, using countries as groups and ECERS items as criterion variables, revealed differences between countries on two discriminant functions: Personalized Care and Availability and Use of Space and Play Materials. Results are discussed in terms of the early childhood traditions and infrastructures found in the five countries.     

Comparing beliefs about appropriate practice among early childhood education and care professionals from the U.S., China, Taiwan, Korea and Turkey

The purpose of this study was to examine what, if anything, caregivers and teachers of 3- to 5-year-old children from the U.S. (n = 412), China (n = 244), Taiwan (n = 222), Korea (n = 574), and Turkey (n = 214), had in common in terms of self-reported beliefs and self-reported practices related to the National Association for the Education of Young Children's (NAEYC) policy statement for developmentally appropriate practices (DAP). DAP is widely endorsed by early childhood education and care professionals in the U.S. and is assumed to have far reaching impact on curricular beliefs and practices throughout the world. Pearson correlations and one-way ANOVA were used to compare overall mean scores for beliefs measured by the Teachers Beliefs Scale (TBS) to those of practices measured by the Instructional Activities Scale (IAS) [Charlesworth, R., Hart, C. H., Burts, D. C., & Hernandez, S. (1991). Kindergarten teachers’ beliefs and practices. Early Child Development and Care, 70, 17–35]. Item-by-item analyses were conducted using factor analysis and χ² analyses within and across countries. Similarities emerged related to, in particular, those beliefs and teaching practices associated with integrating across the curriculum, promoting social/emotional development, providing concrete/hands-on materials, and allowing play/choice in the curriculum.     

Does life satisfaction predict victimization experiences in adolescence?

Longitudinal relationships between adolescents' life satisfaction and peer victimization and prosocial experiences were assessed. A total of 417 students in Grades 6–8 completed the Multidimensional Students' Life Satisfaction Scale (MSLSS: Huebner, 1994) and the Children's Social Experience Questionnaire – Self Report (SEQ‐SR: Crick & Grotpeter, 1996) on two occasions (Time 1 and Time 2), 1 year apart. The results revealed that Time 1 life satisfaction scores did not add to the prediction of Time 2 overt victimization scores but did add to the prediction of Time 2 relational victimization scores and prosocial experiences. Additionally, Time 1 overt victimization, relational victimization, and prosocial experiences did not significantly add to the prediction of Time 2 general life satisfaction. However, the predictive equations for Time 1 relational victimization and prosocial experiences approached significance, suggesting the possibility of bidirectional effects between life satisfaction and relational victimization and prosocial peer experiences. Most interestingly, lower levels of life satisfaction appeared to be a newly identified risk factor for two qualitatively distinct types of adverse peer relationships (relational victimization and lack of prosocial experiences). © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Beyond the Black–White Test Score Gap: Latinos’ Early School Experiences and Literacy Outcomes

Data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Survey–Birth Cohort are used to analyze the factors that lead to the reading readiness of children who participate in nonparental care the year prior to kindergarten (N = 4,550), with a specific focus on Latino children (N = 800). Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis demonstrates that reading scores are significantly influenced by the type of care provided the year prior to kindergarten, the caregiver’s education and beliefs about kindergarten readiness, as well as access to books and a computer in the home. Furthermore, mother’s level of education and marital status are important predictors of reading aptitude.     

The Effect of Service Learning on Community College Students

This study discusses the implementation of a service learning component in community college communication 101 level courses. Through the execution of a service learning component in communication classes at a community college, students’ communicative competency and attitude toward community service is assessed. Using two different delivery approaches, a quantitative study assessed the pretest and posttest of the standardized tool Communicative Adaptability Scale (CAS). Eight sections of communication 101 courses were distributed into two groups: (a) an experimental group and (b) a control group. The experimental group (n = 69) was required to finish a service learning project consisting of 15 hours by the end of the semester. The control group (n = 64) students did not participate in a community service project. Quantitative research methods were applied through data collection of the CAS taken by participants preimplementation and postimplementation of the service learning component, which was a community service project. The CAS results support that the implementation of service learning significantly increases students’ communication adaptability and competence.