Observed negativity in large family systems: Incidents and reactions

Marital researchers and information theorists have posited that expressed n egativity by a family member affects the subsequent interaction This study examined expressed negativity based on marital quality, stepfamily status, and child gender. Base-rate analyses indicated that negativity occurred onc e every 12 s. Whereas negativity more commonly arose in families containing distressed marriages, there were no differences in frequency by stepfamily status, child gender, or respective speaker. In contrast, the lag sequenti al analyses suggested that the presence of girls facilitated a more rapid r ecovery from effects of negativity. More enduring effects of negativity occ urred for 3 of the groups containing boys, particularly with the presence o f distressed marriages. Findings suggest deleterious effects to system-leve l processes when distressed marriages and male offspring are present.