Perception of the Family Environment and Intrafamilial Agreement in Belief Concerning the Adolescent

Abstract

This study investigated differences in perception of the family environment between families with a child in early adolescence and those with a child in late adolescence, and the relation between those perceptions and intrafamilial agreement in belief concerning the personal characteristics of the adolescent. Forty-two families and their adolescent children were interviewed in two sessions scheduled a week apart. Interviews were based on the Family Belief Interview Schedule, which presents 15 short vignettes designed to assess parental beliefs about the child and the child's beliefs about parental beliefs. Families additionally completed the Family Environment Scale. Results indicated that (1) parents with younger adolescents perceived more conflict and less organization in the home; (2) younger adolescents perceived their families to be characterized by less conflict than did older adolescents; and (3) families high in intrafamilial agreement in belief perceived themselves to be more cohesive, organized, and controlled. Findings are interpreted within developmental and family systems perspectives.