Psychology 2040A/B Chapter Notes - Chapter 4: Nuclear Family, Cheryl Perera, Stepfamily

• School: Western University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: Psychology 2040A/B
• Professor: Jackie Sullivan

Document Summary

The family unit of our evolutionary ancestors enhanced survival by ensuring a relatively even balance of male hunters. Larger kin networks increased the chances of successful competition with other humans for resources & provided assistance with child rearing. Researchers interested in finding out how families fulfill these functions take a social systems perspective, viewing the family as a complex set of interacting relationships influenced by the larger social context. Family members mutually influence one another, both directly & indirectly. Parents who are firm but warm tend to have children who comply with their requests: when children cooperate, parents are likely to be warm & gentle in the future. Parents who discipline with harshness & impatience tend to have children who resist & rebel: since children"s misbehavior is stressful for parents, they may increase their use of punishment, leading to more unruliness by the child.