ABSTRACT
The purpose of the System for Coding Interactions and Family Functioning (SCIFF) is to behaviorally assess family functioning across multiple ethnic groups, integrating both family systems and social learning perspectives. Originally developed for a multiethnic study of externalizing behaviors in school-age boys, the SCIFF assesses universal aspects of family functioning and is applicable with a wide range of populations. It has been found to be reliable with one-and two-parent families, as well as with a variety of ethnic groups, including
Euro-American, Hispanic-American, and African-American families. The SCIFF was designed to code family problem discussions but also has been used successfully to code family play interactions (Kitzmann, 1998).
