Measurement Equivalence Test on Family Cohesion Scale: Comparison Models for White, Black, Hispanic, and Asian College or University Students in the U.S

Cohesion measure launched from the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale (FACES) is a well-known instrument to assess family functioning. It is essential to perform a measurement equivalence test of cohesion targeting racially diverse families. The web-based self-administered survey was performed and 291 college/university students’ responses in Ohio were collected (Whites = 37.5%, Hispanics = 23%, Asians = 23%, and Blacks = 16.5%). This study explicated measurement equivalence for family cohesion structure (balanced cohesion, disengagement, enmeshed). The multiple group analysis was performed to investigate whether parameters in the measurement models of the “cohesion sub-structures (balanced cohesion, disengagement, enmeshed; 7 items of each)” were equivalent across the four racial groups. While “balanced cohesion” and “disengagement” structures showed measurement invariance across the groups, the “enmeshed” structure showed significant measurement variance across the groups. Two-items, “Family members feel pressured to spend most free time together” and “We feel too connected to each other” were inadequate for Hispanics’ enmeshment. One-item, “Family members have little need for friends outside the family” was inadequate to explain enmeshment of Blacks and Asians. Professionals should be aware of possible misinterpretations of results from the cohesion measure of FACES IV when they particularly assess the enmeshment status of racially diverse families with closer attention to cross-cultural comparability. Plain Language Summary Measurement Equivalence Test on the Family Cohesion Scale to Understand Its Applicability to Diverse Racial Groups The goal of this study was to investigate whether the Cohesion Scale, which was derived from the FACES IV scale, could be used to measure the sub-structures of cohesion (i.e., balanced cohesion, disengaged, and enmeshed) among different ethnoracial groups (Whites, Blacks, Hispanics, and Asians). The study was carried out on undergraduate students who were currently attending universities or colleges. The study collected responses from 291 college/university students in Ohio through a web-based, self-administered survey, with Whites accounting for 37.5% of the participants, Hispanics accounting for 23%, Asians accounting for 23%, and Blacks accounting for 16.5%. The study employed the Amos program to conduct a multiple group analysis. The findings of the study revealed that the measurement invariance of th