Role Strain, Coping, and Marital Satisfaction of Stepparents

Whitsett, Doni; Land, Helen

doi:10.1177/104438949207300202

Cited by 91 publications

(36 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…402-403). Whitsett and Land (1992) found a negative relationship between remarital satisfaction and role strain. Stepparents reported a great lack of clarity in what was expected of them as a stepparent by their spouses.…”

Section: Role Ambiguity and Strainmentioning

confidence: 91%

Premarital Predictors of Remarital Quality: Implications for Clinicians

Falke

Larson

2007

Contemp Fam Ther

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This paper presents a review of the research literature from 1980 to present on the premarital predictors of remarital satisfaction and stability (quality). The predictive factors are organized with an ecosystemic theoretical model using three general predictor categories: background and context factors (e.g., stepchildren), individual traits and behaviors (e.g., attachment to an ex-spouse), and couple interactional processes (e.g., couple consensus). Major factors related to lower remarriage quality include the roles of stepchildren, stepfamily complexity, emotional attachment to an ex-spouse, serial marriage, and economic strain. Predictors related to higher remarital quality include couple consensus on important topics, social support from family and friends, and financial stability. Implications for couple therapy before remarriage are discussed. Keywords Remarriage Á Marital quality Á Premarital predictorsDivorce rates continue to be high in the United States as nearly 50% of first marriages end in divorce and 27% of couple households in the US include at least one partner who has been previously married. The divorce rate for remarrieds is even higher-about 60% (Bramlett & Mosher, 2001), especially when remarried couples have stepchildren (Booth & Edwards, 1992). This makes it important for marriage and family therapists to understand the premarital factors that support a successful remarriage. The most recent reviews of remarriage focus more on general stepfamily dynamics rather than on the remarital dyad Stephanie Falke, M.S. is a doctoral student in marital and family therapy at

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Section: Role Ambiguity and Strainmentioning

confidence: 91%

Premarital Predictors of Remarital Quality: Implications for Clinicians

Falke

Larson

2007

Contemp Fam Ther

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“…Blended families were regarded by family members as structurally fluid, with ongoing changes in household composition experienced when children visited the nonresident parent and moved in with (and moved out of) the blended family household. This fact, coupled with the complex configuration of blended family membership and households, represents a continual challenge to the development of these families and to the relationships between family members as they seek to adjust to blended family life (e.g., Duberman, 1975;Esses & Campbell, 1984;Fine, 1986;Ganong & Coleman, 1986, 1994Kelley, 1992;Whisett & Land, 1992).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Turning Points in the Development of Blended Families

Baxter

Braithwaite

Nicholson

1999

Journal of Social and Personal Relationships

157

139

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A modified retrospective interview technique (RIT) was employed with members of 53 blended families to determine the types of turning points they reported experiencing and the developmental trajectories of their respective blended family’s first 4 years. Findings revealed 15 primary types of turning points, of which ‘Changes in Household Configuration’, ‘Conflict’, ‘Holidays/Special Events’, ‘Quality Time’ and ‘Family Crisis’ were the most frequent. A cluster analysis revealed five basic trajectories of development for the first 48 months of family development: Accelerated, Prolonged, Stagnating, Declining and High-amplitude Turbulent. The trajectories differed in the overall positive-to-negative valence ratio, the frequency of conflict related events, the average amplitude of change in feeling like a family, and the current reported level of feeling like a family.

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“…Many step-parents report feeling uncertain about their interactions with new stepchildren, and they may resent finding themselves in a parental role (Furstenberg, 1987;Hetherington et al, 1988;Robinson, 1984;Visher & Visher, 1978). Moreover, new step-parents may have had little prior experience with children and use avoidant or ineffective strategies for dealing with problems that arise (Whitsett & Land, 1992). The child's natural parent may inadvertently contribute to problems between stepparent and child.…”

Section: Child's Role In the Householdmentioning

confidence: 99%

Designing effective behavioral family interventions for stepfamilies

Lawton

Sanders

1994

Clinical Psychology Review

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'The terms stepfamilies and remarried families are used throughout this article to refer to both de facto and legally remarried unions containing a child or children from the previous relationship of at least one partner. ABSTRACTThere is growing evidence that children living in stepfamilies are at greater risk of developing behavior problems, particularly aggressive, antisocial behavior problems, than children living in intact two-parent families. These children are also at high risk of serious long-term consequences including school drop-out and substance abuse. Despite the existence of an effective technology for treating behaviorally disturbed children within traditional family contexts, no research has examined the efficacy of intervention programs designed for children with behavior problems living in stepfamilies. This article reviews the stepfamily research literature to identify factors contributing to child behavior problems in the remarried family context. An integrated model of the development and maintenance of child behavior problems in stepfamilies is developed. Key areas relevant to the treatment of problems in the stepfamily context are discussed. A behavioral family intervention addressing the skills deficits identified in the model is outlined. The implications for the design of stepfamily interventions and issues relevant to conducting effective therapy are highlighted. There is a clear need for future research in this area. In particular, it is recommended that controlled trials be conducted of interventions that specifically address factors known to contribute to child behavior problems in stepfamilies, and which use state of the art behavioral family intervention techniques.

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Role Strain, Coping, and Marital Satisfaction of Stepparents

Cited by 91 publications

References 23 publications

Premarital Predictors of Remarital Quality: Implications for Clinicians

Premarital Predictors of Remarital Quality: Implications for Clinicians

Turning Points in the Development of Blended Families

Designing effective behavioral family interventions for stepfamilies

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