Discrepancies between adolescents' and their parents' perceptions of family functioning were examined in a sample of 74 sixth-and seventh-grade students and their parents during the fall and the spring of the school year The effect of both the adolescent's gender and the gender of the parent on differences in perceptions was explored. In addition, the relation between discrepancies in perceptions of family functioning and adolescent emotional adjustment was examined. Results indicated that girls and boys perceived lower levels of family cohesion than did their parents. Girls also perceived lower levels of family adjustment than did both parents. Not surprisingly, mothers' and fathers' perceptions of family functioning were more similar to one another than the adolescents' perceptions (especially boys') were to either parent. Discrepancies in perceptions of family functioning also were related to the adolescents' reported levels of depressive symptomatology and anxiety, particularly for girls.
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