Traditional Family Ideology Scale (TFI)

Abstract

The Traditional Family Ideology Scale (TFI) is a psychological instrument developed by Levinson and Huffman (1955) designed to measure attitudes regarding the structure, roles, and values associated with the traditional, patriarchal family unit. The scale assesses adherence to rigid, conservative views concerning spousal roles, child-rearing practices, sexual morality, and gender differences. High scores on the TFI indicate a strong belief in the necessity of a hierarchical family structure, strict discipline, and conventional moral standards. The instrument is closely related conceptually to measures of authoritarianism and social conservatism, often serving as a predictor for related personality and political attitudes.

Keywords

Traditional Family Ideology, TFI, Authoritarian submission, Conventionalism, Family roles, Gender roles, Child-rearing, Social attitudes, Conservatism

Authors

Daniel J. Levinson, Phyllis E. Huffman

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Traditional Family Ideology Scale (TFI) is to quantify the degree to which an individual accepts or rejects a traditional, hierarchical model of the family. This model emphasizes the husband’s dominance, the wife’s domestic and subservient role, strict control over children, and the maintenance of rigid moral and sexual standards. The scale was originally utilized in studies linking personality traits, specifically those related to authoritarianism, to socio-political attitudes regarding family structure and social norms.

The scale serves as a valuable tool for researchers investigating the psychological underpinnings of social conservatism, resistance to social change, and the dynamics of power and authority within interpersonal relationships, particularly within the family context. It allows for the differentiation of individuals based on their ideological commitment to maintaining established gender and familial hierarchies.

Construct

The TFI measures the psychological construct of Traditional Family Ideology. This ideology is characterized by a cluster of attitudes reflecting adherence to conventional norms regarding family life. The construct is multifaceted, encompassing several core dimensions:

• Conventionalism: Rigid adherence to societal norms and values related to the family.
• Authoritarian submission: An uncritical acceptance of authority figures, especially parents and husbands, within the family system.
• Exaggerated masculinity and femininity: Belief in sharply delineated and often stereotypical gender roles, where men are strong providers and women are domestic and emotional.
• Extreme emphasis on discipline: Belief in strict, often physical, disciplinary measures for children.
• Moralistic rejection of impulse life: Opposition to sexual freedom, premarital relations, and other behaviors perceived as transgressing conventional moral codes.

Validity

Initial studies established the TFI’s validity through its strong correlation with other measures of social conservatism and authoritarian personality. Specifically, the scale demonstrated high concurrent validity with the F-Scale (Fascism Scale), indicating that individuals who endorse traditional, rigid family structures also tend to exhibit broader authoritarian tendencies. Construct validity is supported by the scale’s ability to differentiate groups known to hold varying levels of traditional attitudes, such as different generational cohorts or individuals with diverse educational backgrounds.

Furthermore, the content of the items covers the identified domains (husband-wife roles, parent-child relations, and general male-female concepts), providing strong face validity. Subsequent research has confirmed the predictive validity of the TFI, showing its utility in anticipating attitudes toward issues such as women’s rights, sexual liberalization, and corporal punishment.

Reliability

While specific detailed reliability coefficients (such as Cronbach’s Alpha for internal consistency) are typically reported in the original 1955 publication, the TFI, as cited in subsequent major compendiums like Measures of Political Attitudes (Robinson & Shaver, 1969), is generally considered to possess acceptable levels of reliability for a psychological attitude scale of its era. High internal consistency suggests that the 40 items reliably measure a single underlying construct—Traditional Family Ideology—despite the presence of several sub-dimensions. Test-retest reliability, though likely high due to the stable nature of deep-seated ideological attitudes, would need verification from the primary source materials.

Factor Analysis

Although the TFI is often treated as a unidimensional measure yielding a single total score reflecting overall traditionalism, factor analysis of the 40 items reveals a structure composed of distinct, yet highly correlated, sub-dimensions. The source material identifies five main conceptual clusters underpinning the TFI:

1. Conventionalism (I)
2. Authoritarian submission (II)
3. Exaggerated masculinity and femininity (III)
4. Extreme emphasis on discipline (IV)
5. A moralistic rejection of impulse life (V)

These five factors collectively contribute to the overarching construct of Traditional Family Ideology. The scale items are categorized into broader content areas (A, B, C, D) which overlap with these factors, demonstrating the comprehensive nature of the ideology being measured.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report attitude scale (Psychometric)

Format: 40 items (Long Form) or 12 items (Abbreviated Form FERPT)

Language Available: English (Primary)

Population Group: General population; typically studied among adults and university students.

Age Group: Adolescents and Adults

Population Details: Originally developed using samples relevant to the post-WWII American context, often focusing on educational and socio-political research.

Test Methodology: Respondents rate their level of agreement with each statement using a 7-point Likert scale, ranging from +3 (strong agreement) to -3 (strong disagreement). Items marked with an asterisk (*) are reverse-scored to mitigate response bias. The overall score is calculated by summing the scores across all items, with higher scores indicating greater adherence to Traditional Family Ideology.

Keywords

Psychological measurement, Attitude scale, Family structure, Conservative attitudes, Gender roles, Authoritarianism, Social psychology, Likert scale, Parenting styles

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not applicable (Scale developed prior to ORCID system)

Affiliation Email addresses: Not provided in source material

Correspondence Address: Not provided in source material

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The Traditional Family Ideology Scale (TFI) was first published in 1955. As an older, established psychological measure, it is generally considered to be in the public domain for academic and non-commercial research purposes, particularly as it was widely disseminated in major measures compendiums. Researchers should, however, always cite the original authors (Levinson & Huffman, 1955) and the compendium source (Robinson & Shaver, 1969) when utilizing the instrument. The complete instrument and related documentation can be found in the compilation, Measures of Social Psychological Attitudes, which can be downloaded here: https://www.psc.isr.umich.edu/dis/infoserv/isrpub/pdf/Measuresofsocialpsychologicalattitudes_2928_.PDF

Reference’s

• Levinson‚ D. and Huffman‚ P. (1955). Traditional family ideology and its relation to personality. Journal of Personality‚ 23(3)‚ 251-273.

• Robinson‚ John P.‚ Shaver‚ Phillip R. (1969). Measures of Political Attitudes. Institute for Social Research‚ University of Michigan/. Ann Arbor‚ Michigan.

Items of the Traditional Family Ideology Scale (TFI)

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

The TFI is comprised of 40 items. Factors are indicated in parentheses: (I) Conventionalism, (II) Authoritarian submission, (III) Exaggerated masculinity and femininity, (IV) extreme emphasis on discipline, and (V) a moralistic rejection of impulse life. Items marked with an asterisk (*) are reverse scored.

1. Almost any woman is better off in the home than in a job or profession. (I‚ III)
2. It’s a pretty feeble sort of man who can’t get ahead in the world. (III)
3. A teen-ager should be allowed to decide most things for himself. (II‚ IV)*
4. A marriage should not be made unless the couple plans to have children. (I‚ V)
5. A wife does better to vote the way her husband does‚ because he probably knows more about such things. (II)
6. It is a reflection on a husband’s manhood if his wife works. (III‚ V)
7. Whatever some educators may say‚ “Spare the rod and spoil the child “still holds‚ even in these modern times. (IV)
8. Women have as right as men to so wild oats. (III‚ V)*
9. Women think less clearly than men and are more emotional. (III)
10. Faithlessness is the worse fault a husband could have. (I‚ III)
11. It isn’t healthy for a child to like to be alone‚ and he should b0e discouraged from playing by himself. (I‚ V)
12. Even today women live under unfair restrictions that ought to be done away with. (II‚ III)*
13. Petting is something a nice girl wouldn’t want to do. (III‚ V)
14. Some equality in marriage is a good thing‚ but by and large the husband ought to have the main say-so in family matters. (III)
15. It helps the child in the long run if he is made to conform to his parents’ ideas. (II‚ IV)
16. If children are told much about sex‚ they are likely to go too far in experimenting with it. (I‚ V)
17. Women can be too bright for their own good‚ (II‚ III)
18. The most important qualities of a real man are strength of will and determined ambition. (III)
19. In making family decisions‚ parents ought to take the opinions of children into account. (II‚ IV)*
20. One of the worst problems in our society today is “free love‚” because it mars the true value of sex relations. (I‚ V)
21. Women who want to remove the word obey from the marriage service don’t understand what it means to be a wife. (II‚ III)
22. It doesn’t seem quite right for a man to be visionary; dreaming should be left to women. (III‚ V)
23. A well-raised child is one who doesn’t have to be told twice to do something. (II‚ IV)
24. It is only natural and right for each person to think that his family is better than any other. (I‚ II)
25. A man who doesn’t provide well for his family ought to consider himself pretty much a failure as husband and father. (I‚ III)
26. It is a woman’s job more than a man’s to uphold our moral code‚ especially in sexual matters. (III)
27. A child should not be allowed to talk back to his parents‚ or else he will lose respect for them. (II‚ IV)
28. There is a lot of evidence such as the Kinsey Report which shows we have to crack down harder on young people to save our moral standards. (IV‚ V)
29. Women should take an active interest in politics and community problems as well as in their families. (I‚ III)*
30. In choosing a husband‚ a woman will do well to put ambition at the top of her list of desirable qualities. (III)
31. The saying “Mother knows best” still has more than a grain of truth. (I‚ II)
32. A man can scarcely maintain respect for hid fiancée if they have sexual relation s before they are married. (III)
33. The unmarried mother is morally a greater failure than the unmarried father. (III)
34. It goes against nature to place women in position of authority over men. (II‚ III)
35. It is important to teach the child as early as possible the manners and morals of his society. (I)
36. A lot of the sex problems of married couples arise because their parents have been too strict with them about sex. (IV‚ V)*
37. The family is a sacred institution‚ divinely ordained. (I‚ II)
38. A woman whose children are messy or rowdy has failed in her duties as a mother. (II‚ V)
39. A child who is unusual in any way should be encouraged to be more like other children. (I‚ V)
40. There is hardly anything lower than a person who does not feel a great love‚ gratitude‚ and respect for his parents. (II)

Abbreviated Traditional Family Ideology Scale (Form FERPT)

1. Some equality in marriage is a good thing‚ but by and large the husband ought to have the main say-so in family matters.
2. If children are told much about sex‚ they are likely to go too far in experimenting with it.
3. Women who want to remove the word obey from the marriage service don’t understand what it means to be a wife.
4. The most important qualities of a real man are strength of will and determined ambition.
5. A child should never be allowed to talk back to his parents‚ or else he will lose respect for them.
6. A man should not be expected to have respect for a woman if they have sexual relations before they are married.
7. It is somehow unnatural to place women in positions of authority over men.
8. The family is a sacred in situation‚ divinely ordained.
9. A woman whose children are at all messy or rowdy has failed in her duties as a mother.
10. If a child is unusual in any way‚ his parents should get him to be more like other children.
11. There is hardly anything lower than a person who does not feel a great love‚ gratitude‚ and respect for his parents.
12. The facts on crime and sexual immorality show that we will have to crack down harder on young people if we are going to save our moral standards.