ABSTRACT
This chapter examines whether the functioning of a couple’s multigenerational families would be similar to the functioning of the couple’s developing nuclear family. It presents viability of measuring unit functioning through a composite of the family members’ physical, emotional, social, and marital symptoms. To learn about the influence of multigenerational functioning on nuclear family functioning over time, a longitudinal design was selected. The Nuclear Family Functioning Scale assessed each nuclear family’s level of functioning or overall symptomology. The Multigenerational Family Functioning Questionnaire was administered annually to assess the functioning of the multigenerational family members. The questionnaire measured functioning by assessing the preponderance and severity of symptoms of individuals and their marriages in the multigenerational family. Bowen theory posits that the adult child marries someone at the same level of differentiation, and the new couple repeats the orderly transmission of differentiation with their children.
