Studies of representative community samples of families—normative studies—offer the potential to learn how families function and to investigate family impacts and influences on children.

In this lecture, some examples are described of what has been learned from family studies that have methodological, practical, therapeutic, and policy significance. These relate to multiple informants and self versus partner accounts of parenting behavior; concordances in parenting behavior; and the importance of the quality of relationships within the household. The lecture concludes with some comments on access to families, ethics, and the future of normative studies.

Table of Contents:

Ordinary Families? Learning About Families and Parenting from Normative Studies; Historical and Theoretical Roots of Normative Parenting Studies; Normative Parenting Studies; Concordance of Parenting Behaviour by Mothers and Fathers; Multiple Informants and Self- Versus Partner-Report of Parenting Behaviour; Changes in Rates of Physical Punishment Over Time; The Quality of Relationships in the Household; Access to Families; Acknowledgements; References.