ABSTRACT
Over the past two decades, the traditional perspective of viewing emotions as intrapsychic phenomena has been supplanted with a relational perspective that emphasizes the central role that emotions play in organizing, maintaining, and motivating interpersonal interactions (Bretherton, Fritz, Zahn-Waxler, & Ridgeway, 1986; Campos, Campos, & Barrett, 1989). As is illustrated in the empirical and theoretical work presented in this volume, in no other realm are the interpersonal functions of emotions more apparent than in the family system. It is within the family system that marital relationships are established and fostered, children are nurtured and socialized, and sibling relationships are formed and shaped. It also is within the context of family relationships that individuals are victimized, mistreated, and neglected. Thus, within this complex web of interactional positions, emotions play a key role in determining how individual family members respond to one another, how they attach meaning to each other's behavior, and the degree to which they remain connected.
