Description

The Family Sense of Coherence Scale (FSOC-26) is an internationally recognized psychometric instrument designed to assess the extent to which family members perceive their family as a cohesive, organized, and functional system capable of effectively managing the demands and challenges of everyday life. The scale is grounded in Aaron Antonovsky’s Sense of Coherence (SOC) theory and extends this theoretical framework from the individual to the family level.

The FSOC-26 evaluates how family members perceive their family experiences as comprehensible, manageable, and meaningful. A strong family sense of coherence is associated with greater family resilience, more effective stress management, improved family communication, and higher levels of family well-being and quality of life.

The instrument consists of 26 items and is widely used in family psychology, health psychology, social work, public health, special education, and research on family resilience and adaptation.

Analysis

The Family Sense of Coherence Scale (FSOC-26) enables the quantitative assessment of the overall sense of coherence within the family system and facilitates the identification of factors that enhance or hinder effective family functioning.

FSOC-26 scores can be used to:

  • evaluate family cohesion and overall family functioning;
  • assess the family’s ability to cope with stressful situations;
  • investigate family resilience and adaptability;
  • examine the relationship between family sense of coherence and mental health, quality of life, parenting competence, and family well-being;
  • evaluate the effectiveness of family-based, psychosocial, or therapeutic interventions.

From a research perspective, FSOC-26 data can be analyzed using descriptive statistics, reliability analyses (Cronbach’s α), Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), correlation analyses, group comparisons (independent-samples t-tests, ANOVA, and MANOVA), as well as linear regression and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), depending on the study design and research objectives.

Objective

The primary objective of the Family Sense of Coherence Scale (FSOC-26) is to provide a reliable and valid assessment of the sense of coherence that characterizes a family by evaluating the extent to which family members perceive that they can understand, manage, and successfully cope with the demands of everyday life.

More specifically, the instrument aims to:

  • assess overall family cohesion;
  • identify strengths and weaknesses in family functioning;
  • evaluate family resilience in response to crises and stressful life events;
  • support the development of individualized family-centered and psychosocial interventions;
  • investigate the relationship between family sense of coherence, physical and mental health, quality of life, and the overall well-being of family members.

The FSOC-26 is an important assessment tool for understanding the mechanisms that promote family functioning, cooperation, resilience, and long-term adaptation.

Scoring

The Family Sense of Coherence Scale (FSOC-26) utilizes a Likert-type response scale, through which respondents indicate the extent to which each statement reflects the functioning of their family.

Most applications employ either a 5-point or 7-point Likert scale, depending on the version of the instrument.

The total score is calculated by summing or averaging the individual item responses.

Higher scores indicate a stronger family sense of coherence, greater family resilience, more effective stress management, and higher levels of family functioning. Conversely, lower scores may reflect difficulties in communication, cooperation, problem-solving, and the family’s collective ability to cope with everyday challenges.

The reliability of the FSOC-26 is typically assessed using Cronbach’s α, while its structural validity is commonly examined through Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). In many studies, participant scores are also compared with normative data, facilitating interpretation and comparisons across different populations.

References

Antonovsky, A. (1987). Unraveling the Mystery of Health: How People Manage Stress and Stay Well. Jossey-Bass.

Antonovsky, A. (1993). The structure and properties of the Sense of Coherence Scale. Social Science & Medicine, 36(6), 725–733.

Sagy, S., & Antonovsky, H. (2000). The development of the Family Sense of Coherence Scale. In I. Levin (Ed.), Families, Culture and Health. Freund Publishing House.

McCubbin, H. I., & McCubbin, M. A. (1996). Family Assessment: Resiliency, Coping and Adaptation—Inventories for Research and Practice. University of Wisconsin Publishers.

Walsh, F. (2016). Strengthening Family Resilience (3rd ed.). Guilford Press.

Olson, D. H. (2019). Circumplex Model of Marital and Family Systems: Cohesion, Flexibility and Communication. Life Innovations.

Black, K., & Lobo, M. (2008). A conceptual review of family resilience factors. Journal of Family Nursing, 14(1), 33–55.