AGE-OF-RECALL EFFECTS ON FAMILY-OF-ORIGIN RATINGS

Family rating scales, particularly those tapping one's view of family of origin, rely heavily on one's summary impressions, perceptions, and recall of the family. Previous research has demonstrated that fairly consistent age, gender, and parent/offspring differences exist in rati ngs of current family functioning, but little information exists on su ch differences in rating one's family of origin. The present study had college-age subjects rate current family, family when they were eleme ntary-school age, and family when they were 16 years old. Subjects wer e 141 college students (93 women, 48 men) who completed the Self-Repor t Family Inventory (SFI) of the Beavers Systems Model of Family Functi oning separately for the three specified recall periods (age 10, age 1 6, and current family). Significant differences were found between age -of-recall groups, with recall ratings from age 10 significantly more competent, cohesive, and less conflicted than those from age 16; curre nt family ratings were intermediate. Relatively few gender by age inte ractions were significant. Implications for the use and interpretation of family ratings and family-of-origin scales are discussed