Family Coping Inventory – FCI
Measures behaviors and strategies families use to manage stress and adapt to short-term or long-term separations.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Family Coping Inventory – FCI was developed by Hamilton I. McCubbin, Pauline Boss, Lester Wilson, & Barbara Dahl (1981). It is designed to measure Family Coping Strategies. The scale is intended for use with Families experiencing separation.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 70 items organized into 2 factors/subscales: Long-Term Separation Coping, Short-Term Separation Coping.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Long-Term Separation Coping | 3,4,6,8,12,14,16,18,20,28,29,30,32,33,35,41,43,45,46,54,56,57,61,63,70 | 25 |
| Short-Term Separation Coping | 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,12,13,14,15,17,19,20,21,22,23,26,27,29,31,32,33,36,37,38,41,43,45,46,47,48,49,51,53,54,55,56,57,58,59,63,64,66,67,68 | 48 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 0 = Not helpful, 1 = Minimally helpful, 2 = Moderately helpful, 3 = Very helpful.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 0 to 210. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Coping Helpfulness: 0 – 70
- Moderate Coping Helpfulness: 71 – 140
- High Coping Helpfulness: 141 – 210
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.