Family Time and Routines Index (FTRI)

Abstract

The Family Time and Routines Index (FTRI) is a psychological scale designed to measure the extent of structured time and predictable activities within a family unit. Developed by McCubbin and colleagues, this instrument assesses various dimensions of family routines, including daily interactions, parental behaviors, and engagement with extended family and household responsibilities. The FTRI provides valuable data for researchers and clinicians studying family dynamics, adaptation, and family resilience in response to stress or trauma.

Keywords

Family Routines, Family Time, Family Cohesion, Family Structure, Psychological Assessment, Resilience, Adaptation, Parental Involvement.

Authors

Hamilton I. McCubbin, Anne I. Thompson, Marilyn A. McCubbin, Laurie D. McCubbin.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the FTRI is to systematically quantify the presence and regularity of time-related behaviors and established routines within a family system. Regular routines are often hypothesized to serve as protective factors, enhancing predictability and stability, which are critical components of effective family functioning and stress management.

The scale helps identify specific areas where a family might lack structure—such as leisure time, mealtimes, or disciplinary procedures—allowing practitioners to target interventions aimed at improving family organization and communication patterns, thereby promoting greater family resilience.

Construct

The FTRI measures the construct of structured time and family routines. This construct operationalizes the notion that predictable, shared activities and interactions contribute significantly to family stability and adaptability. The 32 items are grouped into distinct subscales that capture different facets of familial organization, including parental subsystem interaction, parent-child interaction, extended family involvement, and household management.

The regular execution of these routines is considered an indicator of family organization, which is closely linked to concepts like family cohesion and the family’s ability to cope with normative and non-normative stressors. Establishing consistent routines is viewed as a crucial mechanism for family adaptation.

Validity

While specific detailed psychometric studies are often presented in the associated literature (e.g., McCubbin & Thompson, 1991), the FTRI has demonstrated utility in clinical and research settings, suggesting evidence of face and content validity. The items are derived from theoretical models focusing on family stress and coping, ensuring they cover key domains of familial interaction known to influence outcomes.

The scale’s inclusion in major clinical sourcebooks, such as the 4th edition of Measures for Clinical Practice and Research by Fischer and Corcoran (2007), further attests to its recognized content validity and relevance for assessing family structure in diverse populations.

Reliability

Reliability of the FTRI is generally assessed through internal consistency measures (e.g., Cronbach’s alpha) across different samples, though specific alpha coefficients are not provided in the source excerpt. Given the comprehensive nature of the scale, which assesses multiple distinct domains of routine, researchers typically examine the reliability of the overall scale score as well as the individual subscale scores (e.g., Parents’ Routines, Family Meals).

High internal consistency across the subscales is expected, reflecting the underlying theoretical unity that all facets contribute to the broader concept of organized family life and resilience.

Factor Analysis

Factor analysis studies, typically performed during the scale’s development and subsequent validation, are used to confirm the hypothesized subscale structure of the FTRI. These analyses help determine if the items cluster empirically into the intended domains: Work Day and Leisure Time Routines, Parents’ Routines, Family Bedtime Routines, Family Meals, Extended Family Routine, Leaving and Coming Home, Family Disciplinary Routines, and Family Chores.

Confirming the factor structure is essential for ensuring that the total score accurately represents a cohesive measure of family organization and that the subscale scores can be interpreted independently for diagnostic or intervention planning purposes.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report Psychological Scale / Family Assessment Inventory.

Format: 32 items, typically administered as a questionnaire requiring respondents (usually parents/guardians) to indicate the frequency or truthfulness of routine behaviors.

Language Available: Primarily English (as presented in the source content).

Population Group: Families (targeting parental reports).

Age Group: Parents of children and teenagers.

Population Details: Applicable to diverse family structures, including those with working and non-working parents, and families with children/teens of various ages.

Test Methodology: Utilizes a modified Likert scale format for scoring. Response options include: 0=False, 1=Mostly False, 2=Mostly True, 3=True; and 0=Not, 1=Somewhat, 2=Very, 0=Not applicable (depending on the specific item or subscale).

Keywords

Family organization, Daily structure, Parent-child interaction, Family assessment, Coping mechanisms, Family stability, Predictability.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not provided in source content.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not provided in source content.

Correspondence Address: Not provided in source content. Associated with the University of Wisconsin during initial publication.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The Family Time and Routines Index (FTRI) was introduced around 1992 (McCubbin et al., 1992). Information regarding specific usage fees or detailed permission requirements should be sought directly from the primary source, which is often the Resilience and Family Stress research group associated with H.I. McCubbin.

General information about accessing the instrument can be found at the McCubbin Resilience website: http://www.mccubbinresilience.org/measures.html.

Reference’s

• McCubbin, H.I., Thompson, A.I. (1991). Family assessment Inventories for Research and Practice. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin.

• McCubbin, H.I., Thompson, A.I., and McCubbin, M.A. (1996). Family assessment: Resiliency, coping and adaptation. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin.

• McCubbin et al. (1992). Family Time and Routines Index. In Fischer, Joel., Corcoran, Kevin J. (2007). Measures for Clinical Practice and research: A sourcebook. (4th ed.). NY: Oxford University Pr. Vol. 1, Page (s): 329-332.

• McCubbin LD and McCubbin HI (2005) Culture and ethnic identity in family resilience: Dynamic processes in trauma and transformation of Indigenous People. In Unger M (ed) Pathways to Resilience, pp. 27-44, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Items of the Family Time and Routines Index (FTRI)

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

Work Day and Leisure Time Routines

1. Parent(s) have some time each day for just talking with children.

2. Working parent has a regular playtime with children after coming home from work.

3. Working parent takes care of the children some time almost every day.

4. Non-working parent and children do something together outside the home almost every day (e.g., shopping, walking, etc.)

5. Family has quiet time each evening when everyone talks or plays quietly.

6. Family goes some place special together each week.

7. Family has a certain family time each week when they do things together at home.

8. Parent(s) read or tell stories to the children almost every day.

9. Each child has some time each day for playing alone.

10. Children/teens play with friends daily.

Parents’ Routines

11. Parents have a certain hobby or sport they do together regularly.

12. Parents have time with each other quite often.

13. Parents go out together one or more times a week.

14. Parents often spend time with teenagers for private talks.

Family Bedtime Routines

15. Children have special things they do or ask for each night at bedtime (e.g., story, goodnight kiss, hug, etc.)

16. Children go to bed at the same time almost every night.

Family Meals

17. Family eats at about the same time each night.

18. Whole family eats one meal together daily.

Extended Family Routine

19. At least one parent talks to his or her parents regularly.

20. Family has regular visits with the relatives.

21. Children/teens spend time with grandparent(s) quite often.

22. We talk with/write to relatives usually once a week.

Leaving and Coming Home

23. Family checks in or out with each other when someone leaves or comes home.

24. Working Parent(s) comes home from work at the same time each day.

25. Family has certain things they almost always do to greet each other at the end of the day.

26. We express caring and affection for each other daily.

Family Disciplinary Routines

27. Parent(s) have certain things they almost always do each time the children get out of line

28. Parents discuss new rules for children/teenagers with them quite often.

Family Chores

29. Children do regular household chores.

30. Mothers do regular household chores.

31. Fathers do regular household chores.

32. Teenagers do regular household chores.

Scoring:

• 0= False, 1 = Mostly False, 2= Mostly True, 3= True

• 0=Not, 1= Somewhat, 2=Very, 0= Not applicable