Relatia dintre functionarea familiei si aptitudinea copilului de a decoda mesaje nonverbale

This paper’s purpose is to evaluate the relationship between family functioning and the child's ability to decode nonverbal messages as well as with the perceived intimacy among the family members. In addition, the existence of a significant correlation between the child's perspective on the family functioning and the development of the child’s social skills was tested. For these purposes 90 people were evaluated (30 families, each consisting of mother, father and child), using the Family Assessment Device, Social Skills Inventory, Intimacy Scale and Profile of Nonverbal Sensitivity. The results suggest that family members have similar perspectives on the family functioning, agreeing that each of the members is aware of his responsibilities within the family and respects them, to other members’ emotional comfort. Moreover, the child’s abilities to understand and receive nonverbal messages do not depend on the level of intimacy in the relationship with the parents, nor on the overall family functioning.