Parents with an AD have been found to display more
dysfunctional emotional reactions during interactions (Teetsel et al. 2014; Van der Bruggen et al. 2008), and this appears to hold for AD fathers with AD children in particular (Bögels et al. 2008; Hudson et al. 2008).
There are at least two senses in which Irmgard's awkwardly timed
reaction shot underscores Fassbinder's depiction of this
dysfunctional family and the
emotional and transactional bonds that tie it together — or fail to do so.