Perceived mattering in stepfamilies: A social relations model analysis

The current study examined the respective role of step- family members' individual characteristics and their dyadic relationships in stepfamily members' percep- tions of mattering to one another. Parents, stepparents, and adolescents from 86 stepfamilies participated. Applying social relations model analyses, several trends emerged regarding the relative importance of individ- ual and dyadic factors. Parents' and adolescents' reports of mattering to one another were mainly driven by individual factors, whereas relational factors were important to understand the reports of mattering in which the stepparent was one of the dyad members. These findings contribute to stepfamily research by highlighting that stepfamily members' sense of belong- ing is at least partly a function of the interpersonal adaptation between the stepparent and other family members.