Family Traditions Scale (FTS)

Abstract

The Family Traditions Scale (FTS) is a 20-item psychological scale designed to measure the presence and stability of formalized behavioral patterns, or family traditions, within a family unit. Developed by Hamilton I. McCubbin and Anne I. Thompson, the FTS assesses traditions across four key contexts of family life: holidays, major life changes (e.g., marriage, death), religious occasions, and special family events (e.g., reunions). The central premise of the scale is that established family traditions contribute significantly to Family Resilience and adaptive coping mechanisms, serving as important indicators of family strength and cohesion, particularly during times of stress or transition.

Keywords

Family Traditions, Family Rituals, Family Cohesion, Family Assessment, Family Resilience, Adaptive Coping, McCubbin, Tradition Maintenance

Authors

Hamilton I. McCubbin, Anne I. Thompson

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Family Traditions Scale (FTS) is to systematically quantify the degree of ritualization and formalization of specific activities within a family context. By identifying the presence or absence of established practices related to holidays, ceremonies, and special events, researchers and clinicians can gauge the family’s structural stability and commitment to shared meaning-making.

The scale serves as a diagnostic tool within the broader framework of family stress and coping research, particularly models developed by McCubbin and colleagues. A higher score on the FTS suggests a greater reliance on traditional practices, which are hypothesized to buffer the family system against disruptive life events and promote long-term adaptive functionality.

Construct

The FTS measures the construct of Family Traditions, which are defined as patterned, repeated, and meaningful interactions that help define the family’s identity and structure. These traditions are distinct from simple habits in that they carry symbolic meaning and are often tied to specific temporal markers or life cycle events.

The scale operationalizes this construct by breaking it down into specific observable behaviors across four key domains: traditions surrounding holidays, traditions related to major life changes, traditions associated with religious occasions, and traditions surrounding family special events. The presence of these traditions is viewed as a behavioral manifestation of family cohesion and shared intentionality, critical components of family health and adaptive capacity.

Validity

Specific detailed psychometric validation data, such as evidence of construct and criterion validity, are typically found in the comprehensive sourcebooks published by the authors (e.g., McCubbin & Thompson, 1987, 1991, 1996). As the FTS is included in authoritative compilations like Measures for Clinical Practice and Research (Fischer & Corcoran, 2007), it implies acceptable content validity and utility within clinical and research settings focused on family systems. The items demonstrate face validity by directly addressing common domains where family traditions are expected to occur.

Reliability

While the source content does not provide specific coefficients (e.g., Cronbach’s alpha or test-retest reliability), the FTS is generally considered a reliable instrument for assessing stable family characteristics. Reliability documentation, usually including internal consistency measures across various samples, is detailed within the initial publication context, Family Assessment Inventories for Research and Practice (1987). Researchers utilizing the FTS are advised to consult the original manuals for specific reliability statistics reported across different demographic groups.

Factor Analysis

The structure of the Family Traditions Scale suggests a potential four-factor solution aligning with the four established subscales: Traditions Around Holidays, Traditions Around Changes, Religious Occasions, and Family Special Events. While specific exploratory or confirmatory factor analysis results are not provided in this excerpt, the organization of the 20 items into these distinct, conceptually coherent clusters indicates an underlying theoretical structure that has guided the scale’s development. Subsequent research using the FTS would typically confirm this hypothesized factor structure.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report inventory

Format: The FTS uses a simple dichotomous format where respondents indicate the presence or absence of a tradition. Scoring is 1 = Yes, 0 = No.

Language Available: English (Inferred from original publication)

Population Group: Families or adult members of a family unit

Age Group: Adults (or adolescents capable of reporting on family practices)

Population Details: Used primarily in studies focusing on family adaptation, stress, resilience, and clinical assessment of family functioning.

Test Methodology: The total score is calculated by summing the “Yes” responses (1 point per item). Scores range from 0 to 20, with higher scores indicating a greater number of established family traditions.

Keywords

Psychometric Scale, Family Dynamics, Social Support, Hamilton I. McCubbin, Anne I. Thompson, Dichotomous Scoring, Family Adaptation

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Information not specified in the source.

Affiliation Email addresses: Information not specified in the source.

Correspondence Address: Correspondence is typically directed through the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where the initial research was conducted, or via the McCubbin Resilience Center website: http://www.mccubbinresilience.org/measures.html

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The Family Traditions Scale (FTS) was initially published in 1987. Detailed permission and fee information should be requested directly from the authors or the current copyright holders, typically the entity associated with the McCubbin Family Resilience framework. The instrument is readily accessible through academic research sourcebooks and associated websites dedicated to McCubbin’s measures.

Reference’s

The FTS is documented in several key publications related to family assessment and resilience:

• Hamilton I. McCubbin and Anne I. Thompson. Family Traditions Scale (FTS). In: Family Assessment Inventories for Research and Practice, edited by Hamilton I. McCubbin and Anne I. Thompson. Madison, WI: Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison, 1987, pp. 162-165.
• 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 and Thompson . (1992). Family Traditions Scale (FTS). 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): 333-334.

The instrument can also be found online at the McCubbin Resilience resource page: http://www.mccubbinresilience.org/measures.html

Items of the Family Traditions Scale (FTS)

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

Scoring: 1 = Yes‚ 0= No