Consistency in perceptions of the step-parent role among step-parents, parents and step-children

The purposes of this study were to determine the degree of consistency in s tepfamily members' perceptions of the step-parent role, to examine the rela tion between the degree of consistency in role perceptions and adjustment i n stepfamilies, and to determine the extent to which clarity pertaining to the step-parent role was related to adjustment. Step-parents, parents and s tepchildren from 40 stepfamilies completed a series of self-report question naires pertaining to their perceptions of the: step-parent role and multipl e levels of adjustment in their stepfamilies. Step-parents and parents perc eived that the step-parent should and does play an active parental role, st epchildren were more likely to perceive that the step-parent should assume the less active role of 'friend', and consistency in role perceptions was m oderately strongly related to the interpersonal dimensions of adjustment in stepfamilies. The findings suggest that stepchildren have differing percep tions of the step-parent role than do their parents and step-parents.