Factor structure of the Family-of-Origin Scale: does the scale measure what its creators say it does?

The factor structure of the Family-of-Origin Scale (FOS), an instrument designed to measure perceptions of health in the family of origin, was examined. Participants in a study were 162 gay and bisexual males. Similarities of the factor structure obtained in the present study were examined with th...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of Marital & Family Therapy Vol. 20; pp. 47 - 53
Main Authors: Kline, Christopher D., Newman, Isadore
Format: Article
Published: Wiley-Blackwell January 1994
Subjects:
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
Description
Summary:The factor structure of the Family-of-Origin Scale (FOS), an instrument designed to measure perceptions of health in the family of origin, was examined. Participants in a study were 162 gay and bisexual males. Similarities of the factor structure obtained in the present study were examined with those proposed theoretically by the test authors. The results suggested that the FOS is comprised of a single underlying construct that may be represented by bipolar items. It was concluded that the theoretically proposed factor structure of the FOS is not supported by these findings and that the value of the FOS is suspect.