Measuring Domestic Harmony:A Tool for Positive Family Functioning

This paper documents the construction of scale for measuring domestic harmony, a novel construct conceptualized in a previous study (Hai & Agrawal, 2015). Drawing items from an initial thematic content analysis of personal interviews, 246 items were constructed. These items were narrowed down to 96 items through a four-step procedure, which included face validity, consultation with academic experts, and two pilot studies. Factor analysis was performed on the 96 items, which yielded five factors of domestic harmony with a 50-item scale for its measurement. The factors or dimensions of domestic harmony were identified to be:congeniality and cohesion; support and interpersonal concern; nurtured individuality; participatory decision-making; and openness in communication. A detailed description and explanation of each dimension is given. The newly constructed domestic harmony scale is also presented with this paper.