Compared family interactions of intact families with clinically depressed mothers with those of normal families. Analyzed nonverbal affective behavior. Depressed mothers emitted significantly higher rates of dysphoric affect and lower rates of happy affect than did normal mothers. Interactions between mother's dysphoric affect and family's…

Focuses on the narrative activity between parents and children to coconstruct both the meaning of a spousal narrative dispute as speech event and what it meant that such an episode had been videotaped. The family members codrafted a revised account of their story realm that seems to minimize chaos and maximize order and emphasize that "father…

Interviewed and physically assessed 102 married men in an attempt to develop a biopsychosocial model of male domestic violence. Used Tobit analysis to identify significant predictors. Analyzed separately, each domain was significantly related to male domestic violence. When considered together, only the biological and social domains yielded…

Expresses concern over increasing number of divorces in Soviet Union. Offers reasons gleaned from survey research. Concludes that one of reasons for fragility of marriage today is misunderstanding of true meaning of family and inability to protect values. Warns that young people are being prepared only for work to the detriment of their health and…

The mother of a 13-year-old boy with autism discusses the symptoms of autism from birth through 18 months and 18 through 36 months and her journey out of denial. The dreaded validation of the diagnosis and the support of other parents are addressed. Her husband shares some suggestions for stepfathers. (CR)

Violence in the family is defined as a mode of behavior involving the use of physical force among family members. Such force varies in severity from homicide at one extreme to mild spankings at the other. It also varies by intent. In some cases the intent is to control people's behavior; in other cases it is to vent personal hostility; in still…

The Task Force on Divorce and Divorce Reform was established by the Family Action Section of the National Council on Family Relations in the Fall of 1971. Its purpose was to study divorce in relation to the family, and draft a report which would constitute the basis for action by the NCFR and its members. Since several aspects of divorce were to…

This is the description of a course designed to enable the student to develop realistic expectations of the marriage commitment in terms of his personal values and goals. Students analyze typical marital adjustment, examine possible courses of action and determine their impact on family harmony. Topics include realistic attitudes toward marriage,…

This research investigated the relationship between early childbearing and marital instability. Women with large families and those with no children were the most likely to experience disruption. The lowest dissolution rates were found for those with moderate numbers of children. (Author)

The study demonstrated the effectiveness of a modified Double ABCX or FAAR (Family Adjustment and Adaptation Response) model in predicting successful adaptation (good marital adjustment, few maternal depressive symptoms, and an in-home rating of family functioning) in 45 families of autistic and communication impaired children (ages 2-10).…

The label "underclass" obscures structural economic change and distorts the realities of poverty. It pays insufficient attention to factors for understanding marginal people--labor market shifts, the poor's lack of safety nets, and interactions between these factors and social problems. Specific policies must confront the divergent…

Married persons select leisure activities that are compatible with the kind of interaction they prefer in their marriages, and these activities tend to reinforce the marital patterns. (MB)

Assessed marital conflict and endocrine function in 90 newlywed couples. Blood samples were examined to provide composite and daytime values for three stress hormones and three related hormones. Data provided a window on endocrine function in couples for whom the day included conflicts. Discusses findings in the context of gender models of marital…

Describes a self-report scale measuring levels of disaffection toward one's spouse. A questionnaire containing the Marital Disaffection Scale (MDS) and other disaffection measures of marital happiness was administered to 76 spouses. Results indicated good criterion-related validity, discriminant validity, and interitem reliability. Findings…