Family Relationship Characteristics – FRC
Measures dimensions of family functioning including cohesion, structure, beliefs about family, and deviant beliefs to assess risk for antisocial behavior and depression.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Family Relationship Characteristics – FRC was developed by Tolan, Gorman-Smith, Huesmann & Zelli (1997). It is designed to measure Family Relationship Characteristics. The scale is intended for use with Adolescents, youth, and parents.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 39 items organized into 4 factors/subscales: Beliefs about Family, Deviant Beliefs, Cohesion, Structure.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Beliefs about Family | 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 | 10 |
| Deviant Beliefs | 11,12,13,14,39 | 5 |
| Cohesion | 15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26 | 12 |
| Structure | 27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37,38 | 12 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Strongly disagree / Not at all true, 2 = Disagree / Hardly true, 3 = Agree / True a lot, 4 = Strongly agree / Almost always or always true.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 1 to 4. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low endorsement of the dimension: 1 – 2
- Moderate endorsement of the dimension: 2 – 3
- High endorsement of the dimension: 3 – 4
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Varies by subscale.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 15 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.