Inventory of Family Protective Factors – IFPF
Measures family resilience and protective factors across four dimensions: fewer stressors, adaptive appraisal, social support, and compensating experiences.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Inventory of Family Protective Factors – IFPF was developed by Gardner, D. L., Huber, C. H., Steiner, R., Vazquez, L. A., & Savage, T. A. (2008). It is designed to measure Family protective factors and resilience. The scale is intended for use with Families / Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 16 items organized into 4 factors/subscales: Fewer stressors, Adaptive appraisal, Social support, Compensating experiences.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer stressors | 1,2,3,4 | 4 |
| Adaptive appraisal | 5,6,7,8 | 4 |
| Social support | 9,10,11,12 | 4 |
| Compensating experiences | 13,14,15,16 | 4 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Not At All Like My Family, 2 = A Little Like My Family, 3 = Sometimes Like My Family, 4 = Generally Like My Family, 5 = Almost Always Like My Family.
The scale includes 1 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 16 to 80. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Family Protective Factors: 16 – 37
- Moderate Family Protective Factors: 38 – 59
- High Family Protective Factors: 60 – 80
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Fewer stressors (0.43-0.53), Adaptive appraisal (0.64-0.84), Social support (0.81-0.92), Compensating experiences (0.68-0.87).
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.