This paper presents the results of a study carried out in Spain with 214 families with children aged between 3 and 10, comparing the quality of family context and the internal and external adjustment of children living in six different types of family structure: traditional, singleparent, stepfamilies, adoptive, same-sex parent and multiple-birth. Members of the research team interviewed the families in their homes and administered the assessment instruments (Development History, HOME inventory, Parenting Stress Index and Behavior Assessment System for Children). The results indicate that although some significant differences were observed between families (children living in same-sex parent families scored higher for internal and external adjustment, and those from stepfamilies scored lowest in these same measures), these differences disappeared when the effects of sociodemographic and contextual variables were statistically controlled in a covariance analysis. It can therefore be concluded that it was not family structure itself that was related to children's adjustment, but rather the sociodemographic and contextual variables associated with it. Thus, all the family structures analysed in the study are capable of promoting positive child development and adjustment, providing they meet the necessary conditions, such as good-quality care and a stimulating environment free from conflict and stress.

En este trabajo se analiza comparativamente la calidad de los contextos familiares en grupos de familias tradicionales, monoparentales, reconstituidas, adoptivas, homoparentales y de nacimientos múltiples. Las familias reconstituidas obtienen el perfil de calidad del contexto familiar más bajo y las familias homoparentales el perfil más alto. Los resultados conducen a la conclusión de que no es la estructura familiar en sí, sino las variables sociodemográficas y las interactivas asociadas a las mismas, las que conforman la calidad de los contextos familiares. Palabras clave: Contexto familiar, desarrollo psicológico, familias no tradicionales, calidad del contexto familiar, desarrollo psicológico.

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los procesos interactivos del grupo fraterno. No se obtuvieron resultados significativos utilizando el enfoque estructural y sí se obtuvieron utilizando el nuevo enfoque. Se encontraron resultados significativos relativos a la adaptación familiar, al autoconcepto y a las percepciones de las relaciones fraternas.

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