American Family Strengths Inventory

Research in the United States and around the world has found that strong families have a wide variety of qualities that contribute to the family members’ sense of personal worth and feelings of satisfaction in their relationship with each other. One of the first steps in developing a family’s strengths is to assess those areas in which the family is doing well and those areas in which family members would like to grow.

This American Family Strengths Inventory has been validated through research with more than 24,000 family members and has been conducted since 1974 by Nick Stinnett of the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa and John DeFrain of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension.

Family members doing this exercise will be able to identify those areas they would like to work on together to improve as well. You can also identify the areas of strength that will serve as a foundation for growth and positive change together as a family. You can assess the inventory at http://www.ianrpubs.unl.edu/live/g1881/build/g1881.pdf

The inventory is a teaching tool for generating discussions on the qualities that make a family strong. I suggest that family members take the inventory separately, then spend time together talking about areas of agreement and disagree. Work together to develop a plan for positive change in your family’s relationships.