The Structure of Retrospective Accounts of Family Environments: Related to the Structure of Personality Attributes

Abstract

Environmental variables are often assumed to constitute a qualitatively different domain from personality variables, and unlike personality variables, their structure is relatively poorly understood. We studied retrospective descriptions of families-of-origin in 3 samples using the items of Moos's (1974) Family Environment Scale (FES). Using cluster-analytic procedures, we generated a new set of 22 homogeneous item clusters for the FES at a level more specific than the 10 conventional FES scales, thus enhancing potential fidelity in the measurement of family environments. We show that these item composites are well organized under a 3-factor structure and that reports of family environments on these 3 factors correlate moderately with those of the Big Five personality factors that have the most analogous content. Results suggest possible homology between the structure of family environments and the structure of personality dispositions.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This work was supported by Grant MH-49227 from the National Institute of Mental Health, U.S. Public Health Service, with recruitment of Samples 1 and 2 supported by Grant R01-DA08417 from the National Institute of Drug Abuse.

Notes

^a Highest loading for variable.

^a Highest loading for variable.