| The problem. The purpose of the study was to determine the relationship between several variables and in-law relations in Greek American families. Variables investigated were age, and gender of the child-in-law, length of the marriage, level of differentiation of self, and ethnic similarity to the parents-in-law.;Method. Sixteen endogamous and sixteen exogamous Greek American couples, married at least one year, completed the Family Systems Personality Profile and the In-Law Family Satisfaction Scale. The Family Systems Personality Profile measured each individual's level of differentiation of self, and the In-Law Family Satisfaction Scale measured each person's satisfaction with his/her parents-in-law. The instruments were administered at two different Southern California Greek churches.;Results. Statistical analyses revealed a significant positive correlation between differentiation of self scores and in-law satisfaction scores. Additionally, yearly household income and number of years of education were positively correlated with in-law satisfaction. Additional analyses showed a significant negative correlation between distance lived from in-laws and in-law satisfaction. Those who reported living closer to their in-laws also reported more satisfaction with the in-law relationship. Implications of these findings were discussed as well as possible future research. |
