Happy Families

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Happy Families

• Barbara Kerr, Ph.D
• Sanford Cohn, Ph.D
• Amy Harkins, Ph.D
• Michael Gottfried, Ph.D.

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Are All Happy Families Alike?

• Previous research showed that highly functioning
  families had several things in common
• Cohesiveness from doing enjoyable things together
• Competent communication
• Low levels of conflict

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Do All Creative People Come from Crazy Families?

• Yes, says Runco Tension is necessary for
  creativity
• Yes, say Goertzel and Goertzel Creative people
  lost parents, suffered dysfunction
• Yes, says Jamieson One third of artists,writers,
  and musicians are bipolar, from bipolar families
• No, says Czicksentmihalyi Creative people have
  satisfying family lives
• No, says Bloom Creative people are from highly
  supportive families
• No, say Kerr and Colangelo Inventors have happy
  families

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The Happy Family Project

• Study 1
• 297 in original study
• 30 college students chosen who scored in the 95th
  percentile on Family Functioning Index
• All were interviewed by counselors and tested on
  personality and creativity inventories

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The Happy Family Project

• Study 2
• 130 professors
• 24 selected in the 95th percentile
• Interviewed by counselors and tested on
  personality and creativity inventories

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The Happy Family Project

• Demographics
• Larger than average (5.2 vs. 3.1)
• 22 mothers working from the home
• 10 fathers working from the home
• Over half in creative jobs

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Ethicity, Religion, Class

• Hispanic American,EuroAmerican, African American,
  Asian American, East Indian, African, Israeli,
  Turkish No one ethnic group in majority
• Catholic, Protestant, New Age, Mormon, Jewish,
  Muslim, Buddhist, Agnostic No religion or
  philosophy had the corner on happiness
• All social classes were represented

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The Happy Family Project

• Happy Families are Smart Families
• Above average achievement A-/B
• Creativity
• Social Commitment

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Happy Families

• Not the Waltons, and not the Osbornes!
• Of the 30 families in Project 1
• 2 families with divorces, 1 survived affair
• 1 family with mom, stepdad, and dad
• 1 family with mom and gay dad
• 1 family with terminally ill mom
• 1 single mom
• Many with grandparents, cousins, uncles, aunts,
  or close friends living with family
• Project 2 families, older, more conventional but
  still extended families

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Households of Happy Families

• Characteristics
• Lively
• A private place for everyone
• Places to tinker
• Plants, pets,play
• Pictures, books, music

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Happy Families Respect and Support

• Children felt 110 supported
• Children allowed to take risks
• Children listened from the stairway
• All individuals goals are equally respected

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Happy Families
Very few rules but everyone respects them.
Such as Everyone comes to dinner We all know
where everyone is You dont go into anothers
space without permission
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Happy Families
Creativity Almost all considered themselves
creative All thought of creativity as a daily
experience In high school, 22 of 30 had state or
regional achievements, with highest number in
visual arts All 24 professors were all productive
scholars who were also creative teachers
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Happy Families
Achievement Little supervision of homework, but
often kids do it together Strong support for
purpose, vision, and goals Strong support for
specific interests Everybody participates in each
others interests. Parents advocate for
challenge.
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Happy Families Lifestyle
Family traditions and ceremonies Inclusive of
neighbors, relatives, friends Significant adult
others (Auntie Mame, Uncle Jack) Family gives
both prospect and refuge.
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Happy Families
Conflict and Loss Low levels of conflict When
conflict happened, all knew how it would be
resolved When loss or crisis happened, the
families circled the wagons Graceful closings