hysical characteristics of the individual which permit and facilitate reaction and adjust ment to external forces.
Behavioral system balance within a family is a manifesta tion of successful adjustments and adaptations, even though observed behavior may not appear to be consistent with accepted cultural or biologic norms for healthy behavior (Johnson, 1980). Living systems can and do operate at varying levels of effectiveness and efficiency, but, to be able to operate at all, some minimum level of balance, both internally and exter nally, must be maintained (Johnson, 1980). A behavioral system possesses sufficient flexibility to react effectively to usual variations in the forces acting upon it, and it possesses 3sufficient stress tolerance to permiteffective adjustment to many extreme variations in these forces (Johnson, 1980).
Communication within the marital coalition involves the social psychology of bargaining and negotiation. This process is placed under greater stress with the introduction of a child into the family system. The bargaining and negotiation process is the framework within which individuals "settle what they shall give and take, perform or receive in a transaction between them" (Rubin, & Brown, 1975, p. 206). The bargaining and negotiation process is affected by the presence and use of power within the family system, as follows:
1. Equal power among bargainers tends to produce more effective bargaining than does unequal power (Rubin, & Brown, 1975).
2. When power among bargainers is unequal, the indivi dual with the greater power tends to behave exploitatively, while the less powerful tends to behave submissively (Rubin, & Brown, 1975).
3. The smaller the total amount of power present in the system, the more effective will be the bargaining and nego tiation function (Rubin, & Brown, 1975).
Many factors have been found to affect the family communi cation system when a child is introduce...