Ih. Vandvik et Gf. Eckblad, FACES-III AND THE KVEBAEK FAMILY SCULPTURE TECHNIQUE AS MEASURES OF COHESION AND CLOSENESS, Family process, 32(2), 1993, pp. 221-233
In a longitudinal study of psychosocial factors in children with recen
t onset of rheumatic disease (N = 72), it was hypothesized that FACES
III cohesion sum scores would be correlated with family closeness as m
easured by the Kvebaek Family Sculpture Technique (KFST). A second aim
was to examine how these instruments were associated with semi-struct
ured interview-assessments of child and family psychosocial function,
and whether these associations were linear or curvilinear. FACES III c
ohesion sum scores and KFST family mean interpersonal distance were no
t correlated, whereas the cohesion sum scores were related to the moth
er-father distance on the KFST. Where associations with child and fami
ly psychosocial function were found, they were linear. The results sup
port the usefulness of a distinction between cohesion as a family or g
roup characteristic and dyadic closeness, especially between the paren
t figures. The need for further conceptual clarification and more thor
ough empirical validation procedures in this area is emphasized.