Validation of the Emotional Tone Index for Families (ETIF): A Multi-Informant Measure of Emotional Closeness.

Despite the importance of emotional closeness (EC) in families, few researchers have accurately measured the construct in a systemic way. Additionally, existing measures rely on ratings from one informant, typically the mother, to provide information on closeness within the entire family system. We examined EC in 140 individuals (37 families) using the Emotional Tone Index for Families (ETIF), a novel, multi-informant measure that obtains bidirectional information about EC within every family relationship. The parent identified as most familiar with the family also completed two widely used single-informant measures: The McMaster Family Assessment Device and the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales, version IV. The ETIF exhibited good test-retest reliability, high internal consistency, and concurrent validity with the single-informant measures. Though the primary respondent scores correlated highly with overall family closeness, results revealed only a modest association between closeness ratings within each dyad and parents rated higher levels of closeness toward their children than children rated closeness toward parents. These findings suggest that ratings from multiple informants provide valuable information about discrepancies in perceived closeness between family members and other complex family dynamics that cannot be captured by single-informant measures. Limitations, future directions, and implications for practice are discussed.