ROLE STRAIN PREDICTION IN STEPFAMILIES

This article reports the existence of role strain prediction factors i dentified in stepfamilies. The data was collected from 162 individuals divided into 84 families reconstituted following a divorce. This samp le applies to parents as well as stepparents. The principal results of this study revealed that the most important role strain prediction fa ctor for the parents in a stepfamily is the competition between the ch ildren and the new spouse. As for the stepparents, a low level of cons ensus in relation to the parent's way of raising the children is the s trongest prediction variable. Finally, the most significant prediction factor for individuals assuming a role of both parent and stepparent is a very high degree of consensus on the way in which the spouse, par ent of the children, assumes his role of parent.