An Empirical Comparison of Natural‐Father and Stepfather Family Systems

Terry F. Perkins · James P. Kahan

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Family Dynamics and Relationships Attachment and Relationship Dynamics Counseling, Therapy, and Family Dynamics

Abstract

This study examined the family system differences between 40 volunteer natural-father and stepfather families. Family triads consisting of the husband, the wife, and a child whose age ranged from 12 to 15 years were studied. Four instruments were used: (a) the Family Concept Q-Sort; (b) a Semantic Differential; (c) a demographic questionnaire; and (d) an interaction-reaction questionnaire. Analyses of variance on the data obtained from the Q-sorts and the Semantic Differentials indicated that stepfather family systems are different from natural-father family systems along several salient dimensions including psychological adjustment, satisfaction with family, reciprocal understanding, and perceived goodness and potency. It was concluded that the differences between the family systems in terms of their interpersonal relations and perceptions affect the entire stepparent family system and its ability to function adequately.

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References

1991Interpersonal perception 1957Child Adjustment in Broken and in Unhappy Unbroken Homes 1964Characteristics of Adolescents from Unbroken, Broken, and Reconstituted Families 1962Some Relationships of Stepchildren to Their Parents 1966The stepparent role: Potential for disturbances in family functioning.1973Step-Kin Relationships 1965The parent's concept of the family unit and child adjustment.

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1989Marital Satisfaction in Remarriage: A Meta-Analysis 1996Evolutionary Psychology and Marital Conflict: The Relevance of Stepchildren 1990Stepfamilies: Redefining the Family 1987Nontraditional Family Forms 1987Remarriage and Reconstituted Families 1988Patterns of Functioning in Families of Remarried and First-Married Couples 2007Overcoming the Cinderella Myth 1992

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