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This study examined discrepancies in couples' family functioning scores on the Japanese version of the Feetham Family Functioning Survey, which evaluates both internal and external family functioning, and the relationship of family demographic characteristics to such discrepancies. Participants were 313 husband and wife pairs with child(ren) attending nursery school. The discrepancies were significantly related to: the presence of a family member living with a disease/illness; the number of children; mean age of the children; and annual household income. A possible factor that may explain the discrepancies was question design, that is, use of "you" or "your," and the inclusion of questions concerning intrafamily issues. The findings indicated that family-related perceptions by each individual family member may differ. Nurses should therefore be aware that information from just one family member will not necessarily represent the family's actual situation., (© 2014 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.)