Is a picture really worth a thousand words? [abstract]

Abstract

Parent-child relationships are defined by emotional and psychological limits referred to as boundaries. When these boundaries are not maintained, e.g. child takes on a parental role, children are likely to experience psychological difficulties. Though researchers have begun to investigate the consequences of boundary dissolution for children's behavioral outcomes, little is known about children's representations of boundary dissolution. It is important to understand children's representations because, according to attachment theory, the way we perceive relationships with our parents influences our behavior in other relationships.