Gratification and the failure to separate.

The authors explore the phenomenon of women who appear highly functional, but are unable to separate from their families of origin. The authors propose that families of such women often provide gratification that the women believe would not be available in marriage. Sociological variables--such as egalitarianism, inherent intimacy, time-out factors, and triangulation--and psychodynamic variables--such as failure in identification, separation-individuation, and resolution of the Oedipal situation--are discussed as contributing factors in this phenomenon.