Show FlRnlDlly Rp)®(ft£ By Norman Lobsenz Families Still Going Strong enormous social The the 20 changes yean past — par- ticularly the emphasis on careen and personal fulfillment — seem to have strengthened rather than weakened Americans' sense of values about marriage and family life The University of Michigan's Institute prestigious for Social Research draws this conclusion What’s in parents realize that a child an outlandish first name or one that can be twisted into an embarrassing nickname is a real handicap to a youngster's sense of selfesteem But recent studies by both the British and American Name Societies show that even ordinary names can Influence one's character and have a real effect on a person's social sexual and financial success The reason? Most of us seem to have fairly consistent ideas about the kind of personality a specific name "implies” For instance studies show that we tend to assume that Alan is serious and sincere Paul is cheery and straightforward Roger Is rather dud and Edward Sbnilariy people on his own — that is without a wife to initiate friendships and kinship ties And the divorced woman particularly if she is raising children alone still faces realities like poverty and role overload" Over aH said Douvan the results of the 1976 survey indicate a "rather strong trend toward increased happiness in marriage" Both men and women say that they are more aware of marital conflicts and realize that family life creates problems as well as satisfactions But Douvan points out that awareness of these difficulties Is a sign that broader and deeper types of gratification are being discovered: "If all you want from a marriage is lack of conflict you can have this by reducing Interaction to a But while there is minimum plenty of strain on families most people are still placing their emotional chips there” a Name? Plenty! many is thoughtful after comparing the results of surveys it made in 1957 and again in 1976 The report which wdl be published in book form next year indicates that: Men and women both continue to rate their family roles as more important and more rewarding than the work roles In their fives Women respondents in the 1976 survey were not as as those in the earlier study But both sexes were less Judgmental about persons who don't marry or have children In both studies the groups showing the highest degree of emotional stress were single men and divorced women According to Prof Elizabeth Douvan the unmarried man still lacks "adequate social skills to create and maintain a reasonably satisfying life with Patricia plain but pleasant Pamela is assertive and ambitious and Is Susan is sexy (Other "sexy” women’s names include Carol Linda Jennifer and Katherine sexy men’s names include David Stephen Paul Mark Adam Michael) The image a name conjures up tends to have a prophecy effect researchers say For example a group of teachers was asked to grade four essays When the teachers believed the essays had been written by students named David Michael Lisa and Ann they gave them higher marks than when they were told the essays had been written by Elmer Sebastian Adele and Beatrice Parents should keep in mind that men and women with simple short names seem to have the most success in fife according to the studies & §?7 in©on Raw ©grans v® finding the Perfect Date comes to sizing up as a potential date both men and women have always paid attention to a person's degree of physical attractiveness But it may be getting more and more difficult for people to meet each other’s expectations The mass media — When Li it magazines films television — stanare creating ever-hig- her dards of beauty and desirability researchers Dr Douglas Ken-ric- k and Sara Gutierres found thereby making it harder for most people to think of the g or the average woman as pretty To test their theory the psychologists asked one group of several hundred men and women college students to rate photos of the opposite sex in terms of physical attractiveness A second group was asked to average man as good-lookin- do the same — but only after It had first viewed a series of pictures of glamorous male and female models The "average" persons rated substantially lower in the second group's estimation In a confirming experiment men students were asked to look at a photo of an "average” girl and advise other students whether they thought she was attractive enough to be taken out on a date Unaware that they were involved in a psychological test some of the young men were asked for their opinion while they were casually watching a Charlie’s Angels episode As expected those students rated the "average” y woman lower In terms of than those who were not shown the television pro- - TOM ted gram date-abilit- FAMILY WEEKLY Ntwambar 4 W you can make meals remarkably fast aid easy And now It's a more remarkable value Because when you buy a Food Ffrooessor from GE weH send you a seven-doN- t 0 PUR R pRCRRmiM Rl RUR IRflpi OWN RVRI M RNI eemar at my Uarwd Cm Soak loMhar msi tnfdpjM mIn ihm I Dm ar rebate So get a great value and make delicious dishes like ' Crunchy Chicken Casserole and' ' Gold Nugget Meatloaf quickly and easily The GE Food Processor A remarkable appfiance at a most remarkable value IS GENERAL 0 ELECTRIC XHIt CMtmteN ZSQfPt HaaaaaMai— mi JOQtet' aid taHaknanratakaal Pdiawaai maatky'prarada War Kim Jm M WO OS mi aka pnkMad land ediarwM IM taaaahM rapta cannWta raturnrt Spattm nal raatncMby akfiMt fer itkMa Mr ana rakaia par podM kalad par MMna and at houwhatd Nmimckupanana BE MMTI SfffS FI SOI APlf FUN MM HMS Ptaaa and my rabrtt chack la prH) XkW -- J- ADDHSSJ ' CITY ' I |