College students (n=142) indicated their relationship perceptions of each available biological grandparent. Grandparents were not viewed as major targets of intimacy nor were they reported to provide instrumental aid. However, grandparents were still rated as important attachment figures to adolescents. In general, granddaughters reported better…

Conducted qualitative analysis of important change event in family therapy: sustaining engagement (SE). Examined videotapes of 33 sessions to develop and refine operational definitions of "disengagement" and "sustained engagement." Conducted qualitative comparison of interpersonal dynamics in four successful versus four…

Used data from National Survey of Families and Households to explore black-white differences in kin contact and exchange among unmarried young adults. Unmarried black men and women were more likely than whites to be living with relatives, especially nonnuclear relatives. Black women contacted mothers and siblings and socialized with relatives more…

Examined changes over time in household extension and its determinants, using data for 9 years from 240 households in 6 villages in south India. Found that household extension was associated with variables representing life cycle stage, insurance and support needs, and production system requirements. (Author/NB)

This study of 47 families of autistic probands found that whole blood serotonin was positively correlated between autistic children and their mothers, fathers, and siblings, but plasma norepinephrine levels were not. (Author/JDD)

This case study describes a 12-year-old boy with autism in association with the folate-sensitive fragile site fra(2)(q13). Cytogenetic results of blood analysis are described, and two possibilities are discussed: the fragile site may be a coincidental finding unrelated to the autism, or may represent an area of potential gene damage. (JDD)

Divided 107 preschool children into 4 groups based on maternal reports of children's exposure to verbal and physical conflict and on living situation (home or shelter). Collected parental ratings of behavior problems and competencies and children's self-report data. Findings suggest direct relationship between nature of conflict and residence and…

Forty mothers, living in economically disadvantaged inner-city locations completed four parenting questionnaires (Parental Attitudes to Childrearing, Parental Acceptance Rejection Questionnaire, Raising Children, and Conflict Tactics Scale) from two to four weeks apart. Significant test-retest reliability was established for all four measures and…

Tests the ability of Bowenian family systems theory to explain career-decision problems in young adults. Young adults (N=1,006) completed self-report measures of fusion, triangulation, intimidation, trait anxiety, and career-decision problems. Analyses support the mediating role of anxiety for fusion and intimidation; triangulation was not related…

Discusses the value of grandparents as a source of support and a source of stress for parents of children with disabilities. Suggestions are provided to help professionals mobilize the assistance of grandparents as a source of support, including the need to provide grandparent support groups and more information. (CR)

A study of the cultural orientation of 203 Mexican American adolescents who were first-, second-, or third-generation Americans found that Hispanic cultural orientation decreased and American cultural orientation increased in linear trends across the three generations. However, Hispanic culture did not disappear completely, and most adolescents…

Using data gathered from Chinese, Japanese, and Korean Americans and their elderly parents (N=628), this research finds that such financial and structural factors as an adult child's income and his/her parent's need for assistance significantly influenced the frequency of an adult child's support for his/her parents. (Author/MKA)

Studied families formed by divorced parents who remarried. Describes the features, the fragility of social and legal status, difficulties in establishing family links, and the role of a newborn child in such families. (BC)

Presents a proposal for professionals in family counseling and family assessment to use sibling interaction as a source of stimulation to improve developmental processes. Includes a reference guide for dealing with everyday problems in sibling relationships. Contains a questionnaire to obtain information about parents' thoughts and actions…

The construct, family resilience, is defined differently by practitioners and researchers. This study tries to clarify the concept of family resilience. The foundation is family stress and coping theory, particularly the stress models that emphasize adaptation processes in families exposed to major adversities. (JDM)