Family Characteristics and Transitions Following the Birth of a Second Child
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Authors
Hampson, Elizabeth G.
Issue Date
2005
Type
Thesis
Language
en_US
Keywords
Alternative Title
Abstract
Many disruptions of routine family life are encountered by family members with the
addition of a second child. Due to the unexpected stress that is experienced with this
transition, changes in parent-child attachment behaviors, increased marital conflict,
socioemotional development shifts in the firstborn, and parental depression are all
common. The present study was designed from a family systems perspective to
longitudinally examine the transition to siblinghood along with the interrelation of family
characteristics as they change. Two-hundred families expecting the birth of a second
child were examined over the course of 13 months, beginning in the mother's final
trimester of pregnancy through the newborn's first 12-13 months of life, using extensive
observations, in depth family interviews and self-reports. It is hypothesized that the
addition of a fourth family member will cause irreversible transformations of family
dynamics, making the adjustment particularly stressful for the firstborn. A second
hypothesis is that each family member will, over time, adapt to this transition, creating a
new, functional family system.
Description
57 p.
Citation
Publisher
License
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