Reliability and factor structure of the Chinese version of the self-report family inventory in Chinese adolescents

The Chinese version (C-SFI) of the Self-Report Family Inventory (SFI) was administered to 3,649 Chinese adolescents. Results showed that the C-SFI is internally consistent. Factor analyses revealed that two factors were abstracted from the scale (positive family behavior and negative family behavior), and they could reliably be reproduced in different adolescent subsamples based on gender and grade. Contrary to the previous findings that there are five to six dimensions of the SFI, the present findings show that the C-SFI has two dimensions. This study suggests that clinical practitioners should be cautious in using the subscales in the SFI, particularly for the Chinese.