This study examines the relationship between emotional distance and negotiation power in intact families with two adolescent children resident in the home. It also assesses the role of sex as a mediating variable. Controlling for biological generation, occupational status and education, the study uses Osmond's Reciprocity game to measure negotiation power and the Kevbaek Family Sculpture Technique to measure emotional distance between family members. The sample consists of thirty-three families from evangelical churches in the Jackson, MS SMSA. / The results indicate that emotional distance is significantly related to power for some family members and dyads, but not for others and that the direction of its effect varies. Emotional distance is most influential among adolescents, especially daughters. Partner emotional distance is positively related to subject power for parents negotiating with parents and for mothers negotiating with daughters. In the remaining family dyads, the effect of power is the inverse, power decreases as partner emotional distance increases. Sex does not mediate the relationship of emotional distance and power. / Models predicting power in the six possible family position dyads were constructed by hierarchical ANOVA procedures. The models vary from dyad to dyad with respect to variables included and the magnitude of the contribution which each variable makes to the prediction of power, highlighting the complex diversity of power in families and the relevance of the individual subsystem, the family relationship system and the extra-familial social system to family power. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 54-07, Section: B, page: 3840. / Major Professor: Marie W. Osmond. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1993.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_76984 |
| Contributors | Hurley, James Bassett., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 299 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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