It All Begins with “Roots”: 20 Questions About You

Family watching photos of little baby in the album

To study how families pass down their history to future generations, Emory University psychologists Dr. Robyn Fivush and Dr. Marshall Duke created the “Do You Know?” (DYK) scale, a set of 20 questions. But remember, “What matters is not just knowing the information, but also the process of sharing it,” says Dr. Fivush.

You can answer the following questions by circling “Y” for “Yes” or “N” for “No.” Even if you know the information we’re asking about, you don’t need to write it down.

The “Do You Know?” Scale

Please answer the following questions by circling “Y” for “Yes” or “N” for “No.” Even if you know the information, you don’t need to write it down—we just want to know whether you are familiar with these details.

  1. Do you know how your parents met? Y/N
  2. Do you know where your mother grew up? Y/N
  3. Do you know where your father grew up? Y/N
  4. Do you know where some of your grandparents grew up? Y/N
  5. Do you know where some of your grandparents met? Y/N
  6. Do you know where your parents got married? Y/N
  7. Do you know what happened on the day you were born? Y/N
  8. Do you know the origin of your name? Y/N
  9. Do you know what happened when your siblings were born? Y/N
  10. Do you know which family member you resemble the most? Y/N
  11. Do you know which family member you behave most like? Y/N
  12. Do you know what illnesses or injuries your parents experienced when they were younger? Y/N
  13. Do you know some lessons your parents learned from their good or bad experiences? Y/N
  14. Do you know some events that happened to your mother or father when they were in school? Y/N
  15. Do you know your family’s ethnic background (e.g., English, German, Russian, etc.)? Y/N
  16. Do you know what jobs your parents had when they were young? Y/N
  17. Do you know what awards your parents received when they were young? Y/N
  18. Do you know the schools your mother attended? Y/N
  19. Do you know the names of the schools your father attended? Y/N
  20. Do you know of a relative whose face supposedly “froze” in a grumpy expression because they didn’t smile enough? Y/N

Source:
Duke, M.P., Lazarus, A., & Fivush, R. (2008). Knowledge of family history as a clinically useful index of psychological well-being and prognosis: A brief report. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training, 45, 268–272.