ESCALA DE EVALUACIóN DEL FUNCIONAMIENTO FAMILIAR FACES III: MODELO DE DOS O TRES FACTORES? ( Family Functioning Evaluation Scale FACES III: Model of two or three factors?)

The Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale (FACES III) by Olson, Portner and Lavee was developed to assess two of Circumplex Model of Marital and Family Systems dimensions: the family cohesion and flexibility. The aim of this research is to contribute to determine the family functioning dimensions assessed by this instrument and to provide information about the structural validity of the scale for its application in Argentina population. Seven hundred and eighty-five parents (M = 41; SD = 5.8) and six-hundred adolescents (M = 16.3, SD = 1.7) from the City of Buenos Aires and Gran Buenos Aires participated in this study. The results showed that a two factor structure is not completely accurate while a three factor model –Cohesion, Flexibility 1 and Flexibility 2- fits data well. According to these results, the dimension Flexibility is probably composed of, at least, two interconnected constructs. Results from the present research are discussed considering previous evidence obtained in other countries with different versions of the scale.