Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Emerging Methods for Studying Families as Systems

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Emerging Methods in Family Research

Part of the book series: National Symposium on Family Issues ((NSFI,volume 4))

Abstract

Historically, advanced study of family systems has been constrained by limitations of methodology, including insufficiently precise and process-oriented measurement of family processes. Emerging approaches to measurement, however, offer promise toward increasing understanding of influence processes related to families and children. This chapter describes three innovative methods for studying families as systems. First, we describe how multiple family relationships can be examined from the child’s perspective using a revised MacArthur Story Stem Battery, a semi-structured story completion task assessing family dynamics. Second, we discuss the advanced use of daily diaries to assess day-to-day family processes and the effectiveness of psycho-educational prevention programs. Third, a new coding system for triadic interactions, which includes analyses of family interactions at both the macro-analytic and micro-analytic levels, is discussed. The development of new methods holds the potential to contribute to new advances in understanding the dynamic processes that characterize relations between family systems and child development.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 139.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 179.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Bowlby, J. (1973). Attachment and loss: Vol. 2. Separation: Anxiety and anger. New York: Basic Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bradbury, T. N., & Karney, B. R. (1993). Longitudinal study of marital interaction and dysfunction: Review and analysis. Clinical Psychology Review, 13(1), 15–27.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bretherton, I. (1985). Attachment theory: Retrospect and prospect. In I. Bretherton & E. Waters (Eds.), Growing points in attachment theory and research. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 50 (1–2, Serial No. 209), 3–35.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bretherton, I., & Munholland, K. A. (2008). Internal working models in attachment relationships: Elaborating a central construct in attachment theory. In I. Bretherton, & K. A. Munholland (Eds.), Handbook of attachment: Theory, research, and clinical applications (2nd ed, pp. 102–127). New York, NY: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bretherton, I., Oppenheim, D., Buchsbaum, H., Emde, R. N., & The MacArthur Narrative Group (1990). The MacArthur Story Stem Battery (MSSB). Unpublished manuscript, University of Wisconsin-Madison.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bretherton, I., Page, T., Gullon-Rivera, A., Lenzlinger, V., & Munholland, K. A. (2008). Das thema scheidung in den bindungsgeschichten von vorschulkindern: Bedeutung fĂĽr therapeutische interventionen nach der scheidung (Divorce themes in the attachment stories of preschoolers: Implications for therapeutic interventions with postdivorce families). In K. H. Brisch, & T. HellbrĂĽgge (Eds.), Wege zur sicheren bindungen in familie und gesellschaft: Prävention, begleitung, beratung, und psychotherapie (Ways towards secure attachment in family and society: Prevention, intervention, counseling, and psychotherapy) (pp. 279–314). Stuttgart, Germany: Klett-Kotta.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cicchetti, D., Cummings, E. M., Greenberg, M. T., & Marvin, R. S. (1990). An organizational perspective on attachment beyond infancy: Implications for theory, measurement, and research. In M. T. Greenberg, D. Cicchetti, & E. M. Cummings (Eds.), Attachment in the preschool years: Theory, research, and intervention (pp. 3–49). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cox, M. J., & Paley, B. (1997). Families as systems. Annual Review of Psychology, 48, 243–267.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cummings, E. M., & Davies, P. T. (1994). Children and marital conflict: The impact of family dispute and resolution. New York, NY: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cummings, E. M., & Davies, P. T. (2010). Marital conflict and children: An emotional security perspective. New York, NY: The Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cummings, E. M., & Schatz, J. N. (2012). Family conflict, emotional security, and child development: Translating research findings into a prevention program for community families. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 15(1), 14–27.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cummings, E. M., Davies, P. T., & Campbell, S. B. (2000). Developmental psychopathology and family processes: Theory, research, and clinical implications. New York, NY: The Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cummings, E. M., Davies, P. T., Goeke-Morey, M., & Shamir, H. (2001). Revised MacArthur Story Stem Battery and Coding System. Unpublished manuscript.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cummings, E. M., Goeke-Morey, M. C., Papp, L. M., & Dukewich, T. L. (2002). Children’s responses to mothers’ and fathers’ emotionality and tactics in marital conflict in the home. Journal of Family Psychology, 16(4), 478–492.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cummings, E. M., Goeke-Morey, M. C., & Papp, L. M. (2003). A family-wide model for the role of emotion in family functioning. Marriage & Family Review, 34(1/2), 13–34.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cummings, E. M., Goeke-Morey, M. C., & Papp, L. M. (2004). Everyday marital conflict and child aggression. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 32(2), 191–202.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cummings, E. M., Schermerhorn, A. C., Keller, P. S., & Davies, P. T. (2008). Parental depressive symptoms, children’s representations of family relationships, and child adjustment. Social Development, 17(2), 278–305. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9507.2007.00425.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cummings, E. M., Koss, K. J., & Bergman, K. N. (2011). Assessment of family functioning. In M. El-Sheikh (Ed.), Sleep and development: Familial and socio-cultural considerations (pp. 329–354). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Davies, P. T., & Cicchetti, D. (2004). Toward an integration of family systems and developmental psychopathology approaches. Development and Psychopathology, 16, 477–481. doi:10.1017/S0954.

    Google Scholar 

  • Davies, P. T., Sturge-Apple, M. L., Winter, M. A., Cummings, E. M., & Farrell, D. (2006). Child adaptational development in contexts of interparental conflict over time. Child Development, 77(1), 218–233.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Davies, P. T., Woitach, M. J., Winter, M. A., & Cummings, E. M. (2008). Children’s insecure representations of the interparental relationship and their school adjustment: The mediating role of attention difficulties. Child Development, 79(5), 1570–1582.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Du Rocher Schudlich, T., Shamir, H., & Cummings, E. M. (2004). Marital conflict, children’s representations of family relationships, and children’s dispositions toward peer conflict strategies. Social Development, 13(2), 171–192.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fals-Stewart, W. (2003). The occurrence of partner physical aggression on days of alcohol consumption: A longitudinal diary study. Journal of Consulting & Clinical Psychology, 71(1), 41–52.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Feeney, J. A. (2002). Attachment, marital interaction, and relationship satisfaction: A diary study. Personal Relationships, 9(1), 39–55.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fiese, B. H., Wilder, J., & Bickham, N. L. (2000). Family context in developmental psychopathology. In A. J. Sameroff, M. Lewis, & S. M. Miller (Eds.), Handbook of developmental psychopathology (2nd ed, pp. 115–134). New York, NY: Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Goeke-Morey, M. C., Cummings, E. M., & Papp, L. M. (2007). Children and marital conflict resolution: Implications for emotional security and adjustment. Journal of Family Psychology, 21(4), 744–753. doi:10.1037/0893–3200.21.4.744.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Granger, D. A., Serbin, L. A., Schwartzman, A., Lehoux, P., Cooperman, J., & Ikeda, S. (1998). Children’s salivary cortisol, internalising behaviour problems, and family environment: Results from the Concordia Longitudinal Risk Project. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 22(4), 707–728.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kerig, P. K., & Lindahl, K. M. (2001). Family observational coding systems: Resources for systemic research. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lamb, M. E. (2010). How do fathers influence children’s development? Let me count the ways. In M. E. Lamb (Ed.), The role of the father in child development (5th ed., pp. 1–26). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Larson, R. W., & Almeida, D. M. (1999). Emotional transmission in the daily lives of families: A new paradigm for studying family process. Journal of Marriage & Family, 61(1), 5–20.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Laurenceau, J. P., & Bolger, N. (2005). Using diary methods to study marital and family processes. Journal of Family Psychology, 19(1), 86–97.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Margolin, G., Vickerman, K. A., Ramos, M. C., Serrano, S. D., Gordis, E. B., Iturralde, E., & Spies, L. A. (2009). Youth exposed to violence: Stability, co-occurrence, and context. Clinical Child & Family Psychology Review, 12(1), 39–54.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Minuchin, P. (1985). Families and individual development: Provocations from the field of family therapy. Child Development, 56, 289–302.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Owen, M. T., & Cox, M. J. (1997). Marital conflict and the development of infant-parent attachment relationships. Journal of Family Psychology, 11, 152–164.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rothbaum, F., Rosen, K., Ujie, T., & Uchida, N. (2002). Family systems theory, attachment theory, and culture. Family Process, 41, 328–350.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schermerhorn, A. C., & Cummings, E. M. (2008). Transactional family dynamics: A new framework for conceptualizing family influence processes. In A. C. Schermerhorn & E. M. Cummings (Eds.), Advances in child development and behavior (Vol. 36, pp. 187–250). San Diego, CA: Elsevier Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schermerhorn, A. C., Chow, S., & Cummings, E. M. (2010). Developmental family processes and interparental conflict: Patterns of microlevel influences. Developmental Psychology, 46(4), 869–885.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schermerhorn, A. C., Cummings, E. M., & Davies, P. T. (2005). Children’s perceived agency in the context of marital conflict: Relations with marital conflict over time. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 51(2), 121–144.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schermerhorn, A. C., Cummings, E. M., DeCarlo, C. A., & Davies, P. T. (2007). Children’s influence in the marital relationship. Journal of Family Psychology, 21(2), 259–269. doi:10.1037/0893–3200.21.2.259.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schermerhorn, A. C., Cummings, E. M., & Davies, P. T. (2008). Children’s representations of multiple family relationships: Organizational structure and development in early childhood. Journal of Family Psychology, 22(1), 89–101. doi:10.1037/0893–3200.22.1.89.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shamir, H., Du Rocher Schudlich, T., & Cummings, E. M. (2001). Marital conflict, parenting styles, and children’s representations of family relationships. Parenting: Science and Practice, 1(1–2), 123–151.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sturge-Apple, M. L., Davies, P. T., Winter, M. A., Cummings, E. M., & Schermerhorn, A. C. (2008). Interparental conflict and children’s school adjustment: The explanatory role of children’s internal representations of interparental and parent-child relationships. Developmental Psychology, 44(6), 1678–1690. doi:10.1037/a0013857.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Whiteman, S. D., McHale, S. M., & Crouter, A. C. (2010). Family relationships from adolescence to early adulthood: Changes in the family system following firstborns’ leaving home. Journal of Research on. Adolescence, 21(2), 461–472. doi:10.1111/j.1532–7795.2010.00683.x.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Notre Dame University, Notre Dame, IN, USA

    E. Mark Cummings PhD, Kathleen N. Bergman MA & Kelly A. Kuznicki

Authors
  1. E. Mark Cummings PhD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Kathleen N. Bergman MA
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Kelly A. Kuznicki
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to E. Mark Cummings PhD .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Human Develop. & Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA

    Susan M. McHale

  2. Department of Sociology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA

    Paul Amato

  3. Department of Sociology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA

    Alan Booth

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2014 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Cummings, E., Bergman, K., Kuznicki, K. (2014). Emerging Methods for Studying Families as Systems. In: McHale, S., Amato, P., Booth, A. (eds) Emerging Methods in Family Research. National Symposium on Family Issues, vol 4. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-01562-0_6

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation