ABSTRACT
Movement from a deficit-comparison model to a normative-adaptive approach does not seem to have influenced the fundamental assumption that stepparents must adhere to a ‘parental’ relationship as defined by the nuclear family. The lack of sophistication in conceptualizing the steprelationship is further encouraged by the paucity of research that builds on children’s experiences in stepfamilies. Reviewers have criticized stepfamily research for the lack of standardized measures. Child-parent relationships from the nuclear family model continue to set the standard by which the stepchild-stepparent relationships are assessed. Reviews of the empirical literature suggest a broad range of relationships between stepchildren and their stepparents. Stepfamily researchers are in a unique position to explore adult-child familial relationships that begin at different points along the course of the child’s development. The issue of psychological parenthood in the steprelationship begs yet another question of stepfamily researchers.
