The existing physical forms of housing are not always compatible with prevalent social patterns. To investigate the relationship between family system characteristics and attitudes about residential space, 64 Indiana families in 4 stages of the family life cycle (early years with no children, crowded years with at least one preschool child, peak years with no preschoolers but at least one school-age child, and later years with children who had left home) were interviewed. The husband and wife in each family completed the Family Environment Scale (FES) and the Family Space Attitudes Form. Results showed that family type had a significant effect on 4 of the 10 FES subscales (Co- hesion, Independence, Organization, and Control) and on 3 of the 4 Family Space subscales (overall satisfaction, perception of stress, and identification of specific stressors). Findings indicated that environmental stressors and family social climate may differ among stages of the family life cycle. (NRB)