Family Coping Coherence Index (FCCI)

Abstract

The Family Coping Coherence Index (FCCI) is a brief self-report instrument designed to assess the degree to which a family maintains a sense of coherence, meaning, and predictability when encountering significant problems or difficulties. Developed within the framework of family stress and resilience theories, the FCCI measures the shared perception of the family unit regarding its ability to manage and make sense of stressful life events, drawing conceptually from Antonovsky’s foundational work on Sense of Coherence.

This index serves as a valuable tool for researchers and practitioners interested in identifying the cognitive and relational resources that promote positive family adaptation following crisis or chronic stress. It specifically focuses on the family’s ability to accept, redefine, and cope with adversity.

Keywords

Family Coping Coherence Index, FCCI, Coping, Family Stress, Resilience, Sense of Coherence, Adaptation, Family Assessment, Double ABCX Model.

Authors

Hamilton I. McCubbin, Anne Larsen, David H. Olsen.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the FCCI is to quantify a family’s internal resource for managing adversity. It is used in research concerning family stress and adaptation, particularly to understand which families are more likely to successfully navigate crises by maintaining a positive and meaningful outlook.

By measuring the family’s shared belief system—specifically, the perception that life, despite its challenges, remains comprehensible, manageable, and meaningful—the FCCI helps clinicians and researchers identify protective factors that promote family resilience following a stressful event. The instrument is highly efficient due to its brevity, allowing for quick administration in both clinical and large-scale research settings.

Construct

The FCCI measures the construct of Family Coherence, which is the family system’s collective belief that internal and external environments are predictable and that challenges are understandable within a greater context. This construct is central to the theoretical work underpinning the scale, specifically the Double ABCX Model of Family Adjustment and Adaptation (McCubbin & Patterson, 1983).

Family Coherence reflects the family’s capacity for cognitive restructuring and positive reappraisal when facing stressors. It encompasses the ability to accept difficulties as an inevitable part of life (comprehensibility), defining problems positively (manageability), and maintaining hope or faith (meaningfulness), thereby minimizing demoralization and facilitating effective coping strategies.

Validity

While the FCCI itself is a brief index, its validity is inherently tied to the robust theoretical frameworks from which it was derived. Its conceptual validity stems from the alignment with Antonovsky’s broader Sense of Coherence (SOC), which has been extensively validated across diverse populations, as summarized by systematic reviews (e.g., Eriksson & Lindstrom, 2005).

In the context of the Double ABCX Model, the FCCI contributes to predictive validity by demonstrating that higher family coherence scores are associated with better long-term family adjustment and adaptation following chronic illness or traumatic events. Its inclusion in comprehensive family assessment batteries supports its role as an indicator of a critical psychosocial resource.

Reliability

The reliability of the FCCI, often measured via internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha), typically demonstrates acceptable levels for a short index. Although specific coefficients are context-dependent, measures derived from the larger McCubbin assessment battery generally show adequate reliability for research purposes in measuring family resources.

Its brevity (only four items) makes it efficient for repeated measurement, such as longitudinal studies tracking family adjustment over time. Researchers utilizing the FCCI should ensure that the population studied aligns with the theoretical constructs of family stress and adaptation for optimal reliability.

Factor Analysis

Given the limited number of items (N=4), the FCCI is typically treated as a unidimensional index designed to measure a single, overarching factor: the sense of Family Coping Coherence. Factor analysis studies embedded within larger assessments of family resilience often confirm its function as a distinct, yet correlated, component of the overall family resource profile. The items load highly onto a single factor representing positive cognitive orientation toward stress and adversity.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report Index/Psychological Screening Instrument

Format: 5-point Likert Scale (0 to 4)

Language Available: Primarily English (Translations may exist in research contexts)

Population Group: Families/Family members

Age Group: Adolescents and Adults (responding about the family unit)

Population Details: Originally developed for families experiencing significant stress or chronic illness; applicable to general populations seeking to assess collective coping mechanisms.

Test Methodology: Respondents indicate their level of agreement regarding how their family copes with difficulties. The scores are summed to provide a total coherence index score, reflecting the strength of the family’s coherent worldview.

Keywords

Family assessment, Psychological instruments, Stress coping, Resilience assessment, Coherence, McCubbin, Family resources.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: N/A

Affiliation Email addresses: N/A

Correspondence Address: Refer to the McCubbin Resilience Center, University of Wisconsin for current correspondence details.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The instrument was developed in 1982. Information regarding current permission requirements and licensing fees for use of the FCCI should be sought directly from the McCubbin Resilience Center. The instrument is available online at: http://www.mccubbinresilience.org/measures.html

Reference’s

• Antonovsky A. (1993). The structure and properties of the sense of coherence scale. Social Science & Medicine. 1993;36:725–733.
• Eriksson‚ M.‚ Lindstrom‚ B. (2005). Validity of Antonovsky’s sense of coherence scale: a systematic review. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health‚ 59‚ 460–466.
• Fischer‚ Joel.‚ Corcoran‚ Kevin J. (2007). Measures for Clinical Practice and research: A sourcebook. (4th ed.). NY: Oxford University Pr. Vol. 1‚ Pages: 270-271.
• McCubbin‚ H. I.‚ Larsen‚ A.‚ & Olsen‚ D. (1982). Family coping coherence index (FCCI). In H. I. McCubbin‚ A. I. Thompson‚ & M. A. McCubbin (1996)‚ Family assessment: resiliency‚ coping and adaptation. Inventories for research and practice (pp. 703-712). Madison‚ WI: University of Wisconsin.
• McCubbin‚ H. I.‚ Patterson‚ J. M. (1983). The family stress process: The double ABCX model of adjustment and adaptation. Marriage and Family Review‚ 6‚ 7-37.
• McCubbin‚ H. I.‚ Patterson‚ J. M.‚ Larsen‚ A. S.‚ Olson‚ D.H.‚ Glynn‚ T.‚ & McCubbin‚ M.A.: Social Support Index (1982). In McCubbin‚ H. I.‚ Thompson‚ A. I & McCubbin‚ M. A (eds): Family assessment: resiliency‚ coping and adaptation: inventories for research and practice. University of Wisconsin Publishers‚ Madison WI‚ 1996.

Items of the Family Coping Coherence Index (FCCI)

When we face problems/difficulties in our family we cope by:

1. Accepting stressful events as a fact of life
2. Accepting that difficulties occur unexpectedly
3. Defining the family problem in a positive way so that we do not become too discouraged
4. ha‎ving faith in God

Scoring: 0=Strongly Disagree‚ 1= Disagree‚ 2= Neutral‚ 3= Agree‚ 4= Strongly Agree.