The findings from a meta‐analysis of 85 studies of premarital, marital, and family enrichment, representing 3,886 couples or families are presented. Metaanalysis is a method for statistically aggregating and evaluating empirical findings. Findings from the study are discussed in terms of overall enrichment effectiveness as well as salient program, subject, design, measurement, and analysis characteristics. The enrichment studies yielded an average effect size of .44, which indicates that the average person who participates in enrichment is better off following intervention than 67% of those who do not. The most powerful factors related to outcome were measurement variables rather than those related to program content, structure, leadership, or participant characteristics. Implications of these findings are discussed.

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The findings from a questionnaire survey of 208 nonclinical family members about their views of the nature of a healthy family are presented. These results are compared to the results of a previous study of family therapists' perceptions of healthy family functioning. Differences and similarities between these two samples are discussed, and the results are considered in light of the findings of another major independent study of healthy family functioning.Healthy family functioning is a complex and exciting area of study that professionals have only begun to unravel. The purpose of this article is to contribute to what is known about the healthy family by presenting the findings of one research study that assessed healthy family functioning from the perspective of family members and by comparing these findings to the results of a previous study (Fisher & Sprenkle, 1978) that assessed healthy family functioning from the vantage point of family therapists.In 1977, 310 clinical members of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy responded to a questionnaire assessing their perceptions of healthy family functioning (Fisher & Sprenkle, 1978). 'Ib explore whether family members would agree with these therapists, the present study was undertaken to assess healthy family functioning from the perspective of mothers, fathers and teenagers.The original questionnaire (see Fisher & Sprenkle, 1978, for a discussion of the construction of the questionnaire) completed by therapists was developed after a lengthy review of the theoretical and empirical literature on family functioning. Cohesion and adaptability, the two dimensions of the Circumplex Model (Olson, Sprenkle & Russell, 1979), and communication were utilized to organize, unify and integrate the plethora of concepts derived from the literature review. In the original questionnaire, the following definitions of the three dimensions and their aspects were utilized.Cohesion refers to the emotional bonding family members feel toward one another. Tbn aspects of cohesion were delineated: emotional attraction, differentiation, mature dependency, supportiveness, loyalty, psychological safety, reliability, family identification, physical caretaking, and pleasurable interaction.Adaptability refers to the family's ability to change its rules, roles, and interaction

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