Psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the family adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale IV

Introduction: Building on the expanding cross cultural interest in FACES, the Spanish version of the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale (FACES IV), aimed at the assessment of the dimensions of cohesion and flexibility of the Circumplex Model, was validated following the author´s guidelines. Method: The sample was composed by 665 college students. Besides, FACES II was also used and family communication, satisfaction, stress and strengths were also measured. Results: The results supported its psychometric adequacy. Construct validity, concurrent and discriminant validity of all the scales were confirmed, maintaining the original structure of the instrument, with 6 scales, 4 Unbalanced scales (Disengaged, Enmeshed, Rigid, and Chaotic), and two Balanced scales (Cohesion and Flexibility). Additionally, the ratio scores confirmed the curvilinearity of the model. Conclusion: All the results supported the adequacy of the Spanish version, which is also promising for use in educational settings, in counseling and in research. Findings with the Spanish version of FACES IV are similar to findings in the United States and other countries.