Influences on the Quality of the Stepmother-Adolescent Relationship

Abstract

his study'identified the extent to which selected des- criptors of relationship formation were related to the quality of the slepmother-adolescent relationship as perceived by both the step- mother and the adolescent stepchild. The reputational sample con- sisted of 50 stepfamilies who completed questionnaires in thcir homes. Correlational analysis indicated four significant predictors of relationship quality: the adolescent's perception of family's ability to acquire social support, the adolescent's perception of family's ability to reframe family problems, frequency of agreement between the stepmother and the father on how to raise the child, and stepmothers' satisfaction with the remarriage. A discussion of these findings are presented along with recommendations for intervention and,policy formation.