Development and Initial Validation of the Contemporary Chinese Familism Scale

Objectives: Familism is a core ideology in Chinese society, yet it has been understudied in this cultural context, potentially attributed to the lack of quantifiable measures. This study sought to develop a reliable and valid scale, the Contemporary Chinese Familism Scale (CCFS), to assess Chinese familism and analyze its structural and psychological characteristics in contemporary China. Method: The scale development and validation process comprised four studies: in Study 1, literature review, qualitative interviews, and item evaluations by experts were conducted to develop the initial item pool for the CCFS; in Studies 2 and 3, item analysis, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, competing model comparisons, and measurement invariance tests were conducted to examine the structure underlying familism (N-1 = 958, M-age = 25.4 years; N-2 = 570, M-age = 32.01 years); in Study 4, reliability and validity assessments were conducted to further explore the psychometric properties of the final 27-item CCFS using three samples (N-2 = 570, M-age = 32.01 years; N-3 = 710, M-age = 22.37 years; N-4 = 932, M-age = 40.98 years). Result: A bifactor structure with one general factor and five specific factors (Connection and Closeness, Offspring and Lineage, Honor and Reference, Harmony and Sacrifice, and Care and Help) demonstrated the best fit for the data and supported the multidimensionality of familism in contemporary China. Subsequent psychometric analyses provided initial evidence for the optimal psychometric properties of the CCFS. Conclusion: This study contributes to our understanding of the multifaceted nature of familism in contemporary China by developing a culturally sensitive scale on Chinese familism.