Assessing positive adaptation during a global crisis: The development and validation of the family positive adaptation during COVID-19 scale
The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the psychosocial functioning of children and families. It is important to consider adversity in relation to processes of positive adaptation. To date, there are no empirically validated multi-item scales measuring COVID-related positive adaptation within...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-09-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.886504/full |
| _version_ | 1811337550605844480 |
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| author | Gillian Shoychet Dillon T. Browne Mark Wade Heather Prime |
| author_facet | Gillian Shoychet Dillon T. Browne Mark Wade Heather Prime |
| author_sort | Gillian Shoychet |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the psychosocial functioning of children and families. It is important to consider adversity in relation to processes of positive adaptation. To date, there are no empirically validated multi-item scales measuring COVID-related positive adaptation within families. The aim of the current study was to develop and validate a new measure: the Family Positive Adaptation during COVID-19 Scale (Family PACS). The sample included 372 female and 158 male caregivers (73% White-European/North American; median 2019 income = $50,000 to $74,999 USD) of children ages 5–18 years old from the United Kingdom (76%), the United States (19%), Canada (4%), and Australia (1%), who completed measures in May 2020. Participants responded to a 14-item survey indexing a range of perceived coping and adaptation behaviors at the beginning of the pandemic. An exploratory factor analysis yielded an optimal one-factor solution comprised of seven items related to family cohesion, flexibility, routines, and meaning-making (loadings from 0.44 to 0.67). Multigroup confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated measurement invariance across female and male caregivers, demonstrating that the factor structure, loadings, and thresholds did not vary by caregiver sex. There was evidence for concurrent validity with significant bivariate correlations between the Family PACS scores and measures of caregiver positive coping, parenting practices, couple satisfaction, and family functioning (correlations from 0.10 to 0.23), but not negatively-valenced constructs. Findings inform our conceptualization of how families have adapted to adverse pandemic-related conditions. Further, we provide preliminary support for the Family PACS as a practical tool for evaluating positive family adaptation during this global crisis, with implications for future widespread crises. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T17:57:32Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f48018d3e0ba47a5ab45541b848ad9da |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T17:57:32Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-f48018d3e0ba47a5ab45541b848ad9da2022-12-22T02:36:27ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782022-09-011310.3389/fpsyg.2022.886504886504Assessing positive adaptation during a global crisis: The development and validation of the family positive adaptation during COVID-19 scaleGillian Shoychet0Dillon T. Browne1Mark Wade2Heather Prime3Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, ON, CanadaDepartment of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, CanadaApplied Psychology and Human Development, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, CanadaDepartment of Psychology, York University, Toronto, ON, CanadaThe COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the psychosocial functioning of children and families. It is important to consider adversity in relation to processes of positive adaptation. To date, there are no empirically validated multi-item scales measuring COVID-related positive adaptation within families. The aim of the current study was to develop and validate a new measure: the Family Positive Adaptation during COVID-19 Scale (Family PACS). The sample included 372 female and 158 male caregivers (73% White-European/North American; median 2019 income = $50,000 to $74,999 USD) of children ages 5–18 years old from the United Kingdom (76%), the United States (19%), Canada (4%), and Australia (1%), who completed measures in May 2020. Participants responded to a 14-item survey indexing a range of perceived coping and adaptation behaviors at the beginning of the pandemic. An exploratory factor analysis yielded an optimal one-factor solution comprised of seven items related to family cohesion, flexibility, routines, and meaning-making (loadings from 0.44 to 0.67). Multigroup confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated measurement invariance across female and male caregivers, demonstrating that the factor structure, loadings, and thresholds did not vary by caregiver sex. There was evidence for concurrent validity with significant bivariate correlations between the Family PACS scores and measures of caregiver positive coping, parenting practices, couple satisfaction, and family functioning (correlations from 0.10 to 0.23), but not negatively-valenced constructs. Findings inform our conceptualization of how families have adapted to adverse pandemic-related conditions. Further, we provide preliminary support for the Family PACS as a practical tool for evaluating positive family adaptation during this global crisis, with implications for future widespread crises.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.886504/fullCOVID-19family functioningadaptive copingcaregiversscale validationmeasurement invariance |
| spellingShingle | Gillian Shoychet Dillon T. Browne Mark Wade Heather Prime Assessing positive adaptation during a global crisis: The development and validation of the family positive adaptation during COVID-19 scale Frontiers in Psychology COVID-19 family functioning adaptive coping caregivers scale validation measurement invariance |
| title | Assessing positive adaptation during a global crisis: The development and validation of the family positive adaptation during COVID-19 scale |
| title_full | Assessing positive adaptation during a global crisis: The development and validation of the family positive adaptation during COVID-19 scale |
| title_fullStr | Assessing positive adaptation during a global crisis: The development and validation of the family positive adaptation during COVID-19 scale |
| title_full_unstemmed | Assessing positive adaptation during a global crisis: The development and validation of the family positive adaptation during COVID-19 scale |
| title_short | Assessing positive adaptation during a global crisis: The development and validation of the family positive adaptation during COVID-19 scale |
| title_sort | assessing positive adaptation during a global crisis the development and validation of the family positive adaptation during covid 19 scale |
| topic | COVID-19 family functioning adaptive coping caregivers scale validation measurement invariance |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.886504/full |
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