SOCIAL POWER AND COMMUNICATION WITHIN FAMILIES OF DISTURBED AND NONDISTURBED PREADOLESCENTS

Intact families of 27 disturbed and 27 normal control 8-13 yr. old children worked at a structured communication task which utilized the description of novel graphic designs by each family member over a network of telephones. By asking questions 2 listening Ss made individual guesses as to the design being transmitted. Overall, there was evidence for role reversal in which the mothers in the disturbed families behaved like the fathers in the normal families. Both of these parents were dominant over their respective spouses. There were specific intrafamilial patterns of communication associated with the activity level and degree of interpersonal involvement manifested by the disturbed child in the school setting. These patterns were reversed in the normal families categorized on these same 2 dimensions. The relevance of these family patterns to personality development is discussed. (32 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved). © 1969 American Psychological Association.