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To authenticate to the full-text of this article, please visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1545-5300.2010.01307.x Byline: WAI-YUNG LEE (*), MAN-LUN NG (*), BEN K. L. CHEUNG (*), JOYCE WA YUNG (*) Keywords: Family Assessment Protocol; Children; Couples; Physiological Response; Parental Conflict Abstract: To read this article's abstract in both Spanish and Mandarin Chinese, please visit the article's full-text page on Wiley InterScience (http://interscience.wiley.com/journal/famp). The aim of our study is to examine the interface between children's physiological changes and the specificities of parental conflict, and to develop a procedure in which such information can be shared with the family for therapeutic change. Children from 20 families were exposed to parental conflict discussion (CD) while their arousals were measured through skin conductance and heart rate sensors. It was found that regardless of the subject of the argument, 80% of the time they were complaining about each other. Likewise, 80% of the time the children were responding to the parents' own interpersonal tension, including moments of silence. The protocol established for the study, consisting of CD and debriefing, was found to be a powerful tool in moving parents toward conflict resolution. Abstract (Spanish): RESUMEN El proposito de este estudio es analizar la interfaz entre los cambios fisiologicos de los ninos y las especificidades del conflicto parental, y desarrollar un procedimiento en el cual dicha informacion pueda compartirse con la familia para lograr cambios terapeuticos. Se expusieron ninos de 20 familias a discusiones de conflicto parental y se evaluaron sus patrones de excitacion mediante conductancia de la piel y sensores de ritmo cardiaco. Se descubrio que independientemente del tema de discusion, el 80% del tiempo los padres se quejaban del otro. Asimismo, el 80% del tiempo los ninos respondian a la tension interpersonal de los padres, incluso en momentos de silencio. El protocolo establecido para el estudio, que consistio en discusiones de conflictos y luego en comentarios sobre ellos, resulto ser una herramienta importante para impulsar a los padres a resolver sus conflictos. Palabras clave: protocolo de evaluacion familiar; ninos; parejas; respuesta fisiologica; conflicto parental Author Affiliation: (*)HKU Family Institute, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. Article note: Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Wai-Yung Lee, Ph.D., HKU Family Institute, The University of Hong Kong, 5/F, Tsan Yuk Hospital, 30 Hospital Road, Hong Kong. E-mail: wyleeh@hkucc.hku.hk

Building on Lieberman's Transgenerational theory (1979), which posited that many inexplicable family problems could be traced to unresolved conflicts arising from clashes between cultural differences across generations, forty multi‐generation families that have been treated with either a child, an adult, or a member from the older generation as symptom bearers were reviewed in this project. This paper is a discussion of the findings obtained from exploring these presenting symptoms from the perspective of transgenerational dynamics, and a presentation of a treatment approach in working transgenerationally. In addition to family histories, we also focused in this work on the importance of working with problematic interpersonal patterns across generations in order to negotiate a more satisfactory and developmentally appropriate boundary between subsystems. Practitioner points: Analysis of clinical data with Chinese families shows that many individual mental health problems can reflect unresolved conflict in transgenerational relationshipsTransgenerational theory is useful in helping us understand the link between generationsAlong with structural family therapy theory this enables members of multi‐generations to negotiate a developmentally appropriate pattern between subsystemsUsing biofeedback in a family assessment protocol to elicit children's responses to parental conflict helps link repeated patterns transmitted transgenerationally [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]