This paper lists four interdependent family characteristics, and argues that they have been distinguishing features of the Western family for several centuries. They are: family membership, mother's age during childbearing, spouse age difference, and presence of other people. Their interrelationships and possible importance in personality…

This study was designed to investigate aspects of childhood social functioning in early interaction and socialization patterns of normal families. Sixteen families with a child between 1 and 3 years of age, and a second child born when the study began, were observed over a 2-year period. Intelligence tests were administered to both children when…

Relationships between patterns of family interaction and child development are investigated in this study on how family environment and quality of interaction relate to an adolescent's psychological and social functioning. A sample of 99 white middle-class families participated in a 2-hour structured interview in their homes. The interview…