Family Relationship Patterns Across Three Generations. Greek Adults» (2nd generation) Self-reports and Their Relationship with Their Family Functioning

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate in a Greek sample if and how the family relationship patterns transmit across generations and how these patterns affect current family functioning. Basis for this study was the Intergenerational Family System Theory. Our basic instnunent was the self-reported Personal Authority in the Family System Questionnaire (PAFS-Q constructed by Bray, Williamson and Malone). One hundred forty four adults (2nd generation in the three generation system) from three Greek regions with difef rence in the number of their population participated in the research. Our findings provided a sufficient degree of support for the hypothesis of intergenerational transmission process,
since they indicated that -according to participants' self-reports- their relationship patterns with their parents could predict their relationship patterns with their spouses and their children, and that participants' relationship patterns with their spouses could predict those with their children. In the transmission process particularly significant was the impact of the number of stressful events experienced by the family. A small impact was indicated by other social factors such as the number of children in the family, people's place of residence, their sex and
educational level Finally, the findings suggested that spousal intimacy could predict good family functioning.