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Alternative Strategies for Creating "Relational" Family Data
Abstract
A major problem facing family clinicians and researchers is creating data that will reflect the family as a unit. To address this problem, we present a framework for family assessment based on three measurement strategies: individual family member assessment, relational family assessment, and transactional family assessment. Within this context, we present several categories of methods for combining individual family member data into "relational" scores that reflect the couple or family as a unit. The problems and benefits of each method are presented, and it is suggested that the choice of method is dependent upon the content of the assessment, the theory underlying the content, and the statistical properties of the individual family member scores.
... Further, Thompson and Walker (1982) argue that it is important in assessing interpersonal interactions to distinguish between properties of the relationship (e.g., conflict, cohesion) from feelings or attitudes (e.g., anger, positivity-negativity) that individuals hold about the relationship. Much of the famnily re-search is based on data from individual family members, rather than data from multiple sources or direct study of families (Bray, 1995;Fisher, Kokes, Ransom, Phillips, & Rudd, 1985). Do self-reports from individuals regarding the entire family represent the whole family or do they simply represent the perceptions of that individual? ...
... Fisher, Ransom and colleagues (Fisher, et al., 1985;Ransom, Fisher, Phillips, Kokes, Weiss, 1990) argue that information from an individual concerning family relationships is an inditidual assessment and does not reflect the functioning of the entire family system. This perspective is supported by research that finds significant differences or low correlations among family mnembers' reports of family functioning (Cole & McPherson, 1993;Cook & Goldstein, 1993). ...
... It should be noted that data from these sources usually represent insiders' data, because they include the internal perceptions of individual family members of family functioning (Olson, 1977). Fisher et al. (1985) suggest another category of family assessment called transactional assessment, which involves evaluation of the family through some type of observation or structured interaction. Transactional assessments represent system interactions, rather than a sum or combination of the individual parts. ...
This article reviews issues and methods in the evaluation and assessment of families. Methods of categorizing and organizing family assessment information are presented. Methodological issues in the assessment of family relationships are discussed with special attention to unit of analysis and evaluation problems. Important family constructs for family assessment that have been identified through research are reviewed. Various methods, self-reports, observations, and clinician ratings for conducting family assessments are evaluated. Applications for clinical practice are discussed.
... Research has often overlooked this. Second, it follows from the above that studies of the family should include multiple family members in the data collection process (Fisher et al., 1985;Larsen & Olson, 1990), regardless of the unit of conceptualisation and analysis. However, most research is found to be lacking on this count. ...
... The development and usage of observational methods has not been as effectively pursued in family studies, in comparison. This is so, because of several practical considerations, even though observational instruments and techniques appear to present a better fit for viewing the family from a systems perspective (Schumm, 1990), and for providing information OF the family rather than ABOUT the family, as self-report instruments do (Fisher et al., 1985;Ransom et al.,1990). ...
... These data can then be taken &dquo;as is&dquo; from individuals and be subjected directly to Table 2 Classification of Family Research Data Source: Ransom et al., 1990: 52. , analysis or the data from all the family members can be combined in some way to produce a joint index-the latter being known as relational data that make a statement ABOUT the family (Fisher et al., 1985). Category II data can cover the individual and/or subsystems and/or family group levels, depending on the topic in question and may or may not include levels subsumed under the level being studied. ...
The multidisciplinary knowledge base that contributes to our understanding of the family does not facilitate methodological rigour. This is so because the methodology of the contributing disciplines does not always do justice to the unique features of the family, leading to a lack of "methodological understanding" (Brown & Kidwell, 1982: 852). Recognising the need to develop an independent methodology to study the family, experts in the field have put forward various alternatives. While many of these alternatives are neither new nor flawless, their proponents believe that they are the better methods that family researchers should adopt when conducting research on the family. This article discusses methodological shortcomings that are commonly found in the study of the family, highlighting the need for and the relevance of addressing them. Methodological alternatives are then described and critiqued, and suggestions for enhancing their sharpness advanced.
... Family qualitative research poses unique methodological considerations. In choosing a methodology when the research unit is a family it is critical the philosophical underpinnings, characteristics, and methods of the methodology can align with a family systems paradigm and accommodate transactional level data collection (data derived from family interactions that can only be generated through discernable interactions among multiple family members [Fisher et al., 1985;Sullivan & Fawcett, 1991]). ...
... A distinctive contribution of the union between NI, family research, and transactional level data collection is the findings are representative of a "holistic" perspective; allowing the interrelatedness among the families to be elevated to the foreground signifying the findings are a product of the system different from the sum of its parts (Fisher et al., 1985). Thus empowering the researcher to understand and engage with altered perspectives. ...
Family qualitative research poses unique methodological considerations. In choosing a methodology when the research unit is a family it is critical the philosophical underpinnings, characteristics, and methods of the methodology can align with a family systems paradigm and accommodate transactional level data collection. While other qualitative methodologies have been utilized with family units (grounded theory, phenomenology), the combination of narrative inquiry (NI) and families is unique. In this paper, I describe why and how I used NI to explore families’ perspectives of the impact of acquired brain injury (ABI); adding to existing methodological knowledge by demonstrating NI has potential relevance and applicability for research with family systems.
... Parent-child relations, conjugal relations and intergenerational relations are all composed of two or more family members. Studies targeted on one single individual are thus being questioned in terms of their validity as well as configuration (Card, 1978;Thomson and Walker, 1982;Fisher et al., 1985;Yi, 1991;Teachman et al., 1995). Since conjugal disparity has been documented as a family characteristic (Ochs and Binik, 1999;Pimentel, 2000;Chien and Yi, 2004), despite the empirical difficulty of gathering couple data, the investigation of both spouses' responses has become a recent trend. ...
... In order to derive a direct comparison of the consistency vs disparity between husband and wife, a consistency measurement with a kappa statistical method is used (Cohen, 1960). This is because the traditional correlation method can only reflect the covariance rather than consistency (Thomson and Walker, 1982;Fisher et al., 1985). Previous efforts have tried to calculate the percentage of couples who have consistent answers out of all conjugal pairs (Yi et al., 1992(Yi et al., , 1995. ...
Using corresponding couple data from Taiwan, Shanghai and Hong Kong, the main goal of this article is (1) to explore the conjugal consistency or disparity in marital values and in perceptions of marital relations among three Chinese societies; (2) to compare the relative importance of conjugal disparity vs personal factors in the explanation of marital relations reported; (3) to delineate the effect of demographic pairing in contrast with the effect of value discrepancy of couples in the perceptions of marital relations. Findings indicate that despite the high consistency percentage of perceptions of marital relations on the aggregate level, there exists a substantial amount of inconsistency among Chinese conjugal pairs. Taiwan couples are relatively more consistent than their counterparts, and Shanghai couples have the lowest estimated consistency value. Marital value is examined by conjugal priority and gender-role values. The cross-society comparison shows that Shanghai couples have more westernized values in both indices, Taiwan couples reveal the most traditional pattern of conjugal priority, while Hong Kong couples have more traditional gender-role values, particularly relating to the mother’s role. Taiwan couples also enjoy higher consistency measures. To answer whether conjugal disparity affects perceptions of marital relations - especially whether disparity in the background or in values makes a significant difference, the results generally support the expected negative relation, but vary depending on the context examined. Both personal and pairing factors are important in the account of subjective perceptions of marital relations. With regard to conjugal disparity, it is found that discrepancy in demographic background seems to be more significant than value disparity. In fact, the expected relation between value disparity and unsatisfying marital relations only receives support among Taiwanese wives. The article concludes the importance of the conjugal unit in the study of marital relations. Future studies are suggested to include both objective and subjective indicators of conjugal disparity. Specification of different patterns in each Chinese society is encouraged.
... Lanz and Rosnati (2002) argue that in the literature, there is no score that represents the complexity of family relationships. For this reason, researchers usually use multiple dyadic indices to compare them (Fisher, Kokes, Ransom, Philips, & Rudd, 1985). The differences between host and immigrant dyads were calculated by independent sample t-tests. ...
The purpose of this research is to study acculturation strategies and attitudes in central and peripheral domains of host and immigrant couples in an Italian context. The participants were 60 dyads (30 host couples and 30 immigrant couples) who completed a questionnaire based on the Relative Acculturation Extended Model (RAEM). Based on the analysis, we found that the general acculturation attitude preferred by immigrant couples is integration, and Italian couples prefer that immigrants adopt it. Furthermore, Italian partners show moderate internal agreement, whereas immigrant couples show a high degree of agreement. In both groups, the level of agreement between dyadic members is only partially determined by their membership within a social group. The socio-cultural context has a significant role in the internal similarity of Italian couples. In contrast, there is dyadic agreement within immigrant couples.
... The transparency of the item, the extent to which the content of the item corresponds to the concept being measured, aids in valid measurement. It is common for researchers to use overt individual self-reports to measure a family concept by averaging the family members' scores (Fisher, Kokes, Ransom, Phillips, & Rudd, 1985). ...
Covert measures of the family system can tap concepts and discover patterns of which family members themselves are unaware and can avoid social desirability bias. Covert measures can be particularly useful in cross-cultural research and can avoid many pitfalls of language and translation. Three such measures which have been used cross-culturally are described. The first is a method of measuring triangulation of children by the parents based on patterns of agreement in a true-false questionnaire describing the family. The second is a projective measure in which family members as a group create a picture of their family distinguishing relationships between individuals and boundaries within and around the family. The third is a global coding scheme used to evaluate family processes from taped interaction.
... The transparency of the item, the extent to which the content of the item corresponds to the concept being measured, aids in valid measurement. It is common for researchers to use overt individual self-reports to measure a family concept by averaging the family members' scores (Fisher, Kokes, Ransom, Phillips, & Rudd, 1985). ...
Covert measures of the family system can tap concepts and discover patterns of which family members themselves are unaware and can avoid social desirability bias. Covert measures can be particularly useful in cross-cultural research and can avoid many pitfalls of language and translation. Three such measures which have been used cross-culturally are described. The first is a method of measuring triangulation of children by the parents based on patterns of agreement in a true-false questionnaire describing the family. The second is a projective measure in which family members as a group create a picture of their family distinguishing relationships between individuals and boundaries within and around the family. The third is a global coding scheme used to evaluate family processes from taped interaction.
... As evidenced from earlier approaches to the study of parenting, merely gathering data from two people does not address the real issue of understanding the relationship between those two people (Thompson & Walker, 1982). Instead, it is necessary to create new scores reflecting attributes of the family unit under study (Fisher, Kokes, Ranson, Phillips, & Rudd, 1985). One such measure of joint parental functioning is interparental agreement on child-rearing orientations and values. ...
L'education parentale et l'accord parental sont-ils des construits differents ou l'accord n'est-il qu'une variable decrivant le parentage? 136 familles d'enfants d'âge pre-scolaire sont analysees a travers un ensemble de questionnaires d'auto-evaluation. L'accord parental est mesure par questionnaire des pratiques educatives de l'enfant de Block (CRPR de Block et al.)
... Nonetheless, they can still form the basis for many complex methodologies such as time series panel analysis [69] or multilevel growth modeling [70]. To get a more comprehensive view of social systems and their characteristic hierarchical data sets, we need to investigate different approaches that go beyond sum scores, means, and difference values [71]. ...
Social interactions have gained increasing importance, both as an outcome and as a possible
mediator in psychotherapy research. Still, there is a lack of adequate measures capturing
relational aspects in multi-person settings. We present a new measure to assess
relevant dimensions of quality of relationships and collective efficacy regarding interpersonal
interactions in diverse personal and professional social systems including couple
partnerships, families, and working teams: the EVOS. Theoretical dimensions were derived
from theories of systemic family therapy and organizational psychology. The study was
divided in three parts: In Study 1 (N = 537), a short 9-item scale with two interrelated factors
was constructed on the basis of exploratory factor analysis. Quality of relationship and collective
efficacy emerged as the most relevant dimensions for the quality of social systems.
Study 2 (N = 558) confirmed the measurement model using confirmatory factor analysis
and established validity with measures of family functioning, life satisfaction, and working
team efficacy. Measurement invariance was assessed to ensure that EVOS captures the
same latent construct in all social contexts. In Study 3 (N = 317), an English language adaptation
was developed, which again confirmed the original measurement model. The EVOS
is a theory-based, economic, reliable, and valid measure that covers important aspects of
social relationships, applicable for different social systems. It is the first instrument of its
kind and an important addition to existing measures of social relationships and related outcome
measures in therapeutic and other counseling settings involving multiple persons.
... At the same time, family functioning is an index of the family unit as a whole, and a multiple-informant quantitative study is indicated. Although a quantitative approach is utilized for research that aims to predict, control, and explain family phenomena (Moriarty, 1990), quantitative research on family nursing is limited in its ability to create data that will reflect the family as a unit (Fisher et al., 1985). ...
Having a child diagnosed with cancer is a stressful event for the family. This exploratory multimethod study utilized both quantitative and qualitative multiinformant methodologies to investigate the relationships between parental family functioning and siblings' health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and to describe interrelations between the experiences of parents and siblings of children with childhood cancer. A total of 14 Japanese families participated in the quantitative study, and 4 families of the 14 participated in the qualitative study. In-depth, semistructured interviews revealed three family-unit stages during the time course of the ill child's treatment that included particular parent-sibling interrelations. We also found strong correlation between parental family functioning and siblings' HRQOL in the quantitative study. The results suggest the importance of family nursing interventions directed to individual family members and the family unit that focus on strengthening the parent-sibling relationship and supporting families who are experiencing childhood cancer.
© The Author(s) 2014.
... Although many existing research designs allow couple and family therapy researchers to examine family dynamics and patterns of interaction, dyadic research designs are uniquely suited to studying important concepts such as ''similarity, discrepancy, mutuality, complementarity, and reciprocity'' (Maguire, 1999, p. 214). Broadly, dyadic research designs involve obtaining data about individual and relationship characteristics from multiple members of a relationship for the purpose of addressing a relationally focused research question (Fisher, Kokes, Ransom, Phillips, & Rudd, 1985;Maguire, 1999). These designs also enable researchers to examine within-dyad (i.e., similarities or differences among individual members in the dyad) and between-dyad (i.e., similarities or differences between dyads) covariation, as well as specific interactional processes and dyadic factors that might explain such covariation. ...
With training that emphasizes relationship systems, marriage and family therapists are uniquely attuned to interpersonal dynamics, interdependence, and the influence of relationships on individuals’ perceptions, beliefs, and attitudes. While recent statistical advances have contributed to a proliferation of resources designed to introduce researchers to dyadic data analysis, guidelines related to the methodological aspects of dyadic research design have received less attention. Given the potential advantages of dyadic designs for examining couple and family relational and therapeutic processes, the purpose of this article is to introduce marriage and family therapy researchers to dyadic research methodology. Using examples from our own research, we discuss methodological considerations and lessons learned related to sampling, measurement, data collection, and ethics. Recommendations for future dyadic research are provided.
Video Abstract
... of analysis from individual partners to the dyad, creating truly relational data that reflect the behavior of the couple as a unit (Fisher, Kokes, Ransom, Phillips, & Rudd, 1985). Just as D-W is a purely relational variable, the present study uses pronoun asymmetry scores for the couple, rather than for the individual partners, to reflect disproportionate pronoun use by one partner relative to the other. ...
Recent research links first-person plural pronoun use (we-talk) by individual romantic partners to adaptive relationship functioning and individual health outcomes. To examine a possible boundary condition of adaptive we-talk in couples coping with health problems, we correlated asymmetric couple-level we/I-ratios (more we-talk relative to I-talk by the spouse than the patient) with a concurrent pattern of directional demand-withdraw (D-W) interaction in which the spouse demands change while the patient withdraws. Couples in which a partner who abused alcohol (n = 65), smoked cigarettes despite having heart or lung disease (n = 24), or had congestive heart failure (n = 58) discussed a health-related disagreement during a video-recorded interaction task. Transcripts of these conversations provided measures of pronoun use for each partner, and trained observers coded D-W patterns from the recordings. As expected, partner asymmetry in we/I-ratio scores predicted directional demand-withdraw, such that spouses who used more we-talk (relative to I-talk) than patients tended to assume the demand role in concurrent D-W interaction. Asymmetric I-talk rather than we-talk accounted for this association, and asymmetric you-talk contributed independently as well. In contrast to previous studies of we-talk by individual partners, the present results identify dyad-level pronoun patterns that clearly do not mark beneficent processes: asymmetric partner we/I-ratios and you-talk reflect problematic demand-withdraw interaction. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved).
... A number of suggestions have been made for attempting to assess relationships at the level of the family, rather than the dyad (e.g., Ball, McKenry, & Price-Bonham, 1983;Fisher, Kokes, Ransom, Phillips, & Rudd, 1985). An implication of family-level aggregation, however, is that the striking differences in relationships that appear in the middle-childhood and adolescent years would become less central to research on the significance of relationships in development. ...
Bases for a developmental approach to the nature and functions of mother-child and father-child relationships are considered in connection with research findings from studies of middle-childhood and adolescent subjects and their parents. The framework for the review was derived from two sources: (1) recent conceptualizations of close relationships and (2) implications in general theories of socialization regarding different contributions of mothers and fathers to development during middle childhood and adolescence. Relationships between offspring and their mothers were found to contrast with father-offspring relationships in both middle childhood and adolescence, and differences appear to become more pronounced in some areas as a function of maturational changes associated with the transition to adolescence. The analysis points to the inadvisability of considering relationships with parents to be monolithic and a-developmental. In addition, it makes clear the need for a developmental theory of relationships to serve as a guide to further research on the linkages between ontogenetic change in individuals and the relationships of which they are a part.
... A major problem in family research is 10 obtain infomlation that will reflect the family as a unit and yield tme family characteristics (Fisher, Kokes, Ransom, Philips, & Rudd, 1985). ...
From several theoretical perspectives as well as in psychotherapeutic practice it is assumed
that family characteristics have a causal influence on the course of emotional and / or
behavioral problems of children and adolescents (e.g., Boszonneny-Nagy & Sparke, 1973;
Dadds, 1995; Hetherington & Mat1in, 1986; Jacob & Tennenbaum, 1988; Minuchin, 1974;
Patterson, 1982). However, although there is an enollatous amount of evidence for the
presence of an association between family functioning and children's problem behavior (e.g.,
Adams, Overholser, & Lehnert, 1994; Davies & Cunnnings, 1994; Emery, 1982; Grych &
Fincham, 1990; Hollis, 1996; Patterson, 1982; Reid & Crisafulli, 1989; Rollins & Thomas,
1979; Rothbaum & Weisz, 1994; Simons, Robertson & Downs, 1989), it has hardly been
shown whether family functioning and family relations, and changes therein are causative of
changes in children's intematizing and / or extemalizing problem behavior, or vice versa. In
other words, empirical support for the above stated assumption is rather lacking. Therefore,
the primary aim of the research project which is reported in this thesis was to examine the
causal relation between the course of family characteristics and the course of problem
behavior in children and adolescents referred to outpatient mental health services.
In order to improve our understanding of the nature and direction of the relation between
family characteristics and child problem behavior longitudinal studies are indispensable.
... Some of these challenges included multiple family forms and meanings of family, taking into account the different ways in which a family can be subdivided and measured, deciding on the most relevant dimensions of family life vis-a-vis prosocial and problem behavior development, and understanding and assessing families as part of an ecology that includes other social institutions with child socialization functions and influences. Considerable controversy and debate about these matters has occurred within conceptual (e.g., Do measures of family functioning exist with self reports only? [Fisher et al. 1985]; unit of study questions [choices over molar versus molecular levels of data][Christensen and Arrington 1987]), methodological (validity issues of measures without cultural sensitivity [McLoyd 1991]), and data-analytic (e.g., data aggregation, addressing data from group, and individual levels) domains. The authors concurred with the need to divide the total group's resources so that the molar level topics of family and parenting could receive sufficient attention. ...
... ThIS method measures and analyzes systems' level variables (Fisher, 1982; Fisher et al., 1985; Gottman, 1982; Rogers et al., 1985). ...
This paper reports on a study of the therapy process of 63 initial interviews. The purpose of the study was to determine if the therapists' use of executive and joining skills had an effect on whether families continued in therapy until family and therapist agreed on termination. In addition, we tested for the effect of solution-focused interviewing. We found that executive skills accounted for the majority of variance in outcome. Family members' discussion of solution information was significantly correlated with outcome, but did not enter into the regression equation.
This chapter serves as an overview of the three main parts of this book: theorizing about families with adolescents, research on families with adolescents, and application topics concerning families with adolescents. Theoretically, an intergenerational nurturing definition of families with adolescents is advanced in order to provide parameters around the literature covering two theoretical frameworks most associated with the field of human development and family science – family development theory and family systems theory – as well as three additional theories that claim more individual psychological origins: ecological theory, attachment theory, and social learning theory. The empirical overview offered in this chapter presents a number of heuristic models that help readers to understand the ways in which the direct and indirect effects of family factors are measured by researchers, as well as discussing unit of analysis issues that help to define both dyadic and polyadic efforts to understand families with adolescents. Finally, the application overview sets the stage for a review of both prevention and intervention efforts targeting families with adolescents. Here, our intergenerational nurturing definition regarding families with adolescents is used as a litmus test to determine which initiatives actually “do” something that is family-oriented.
Describes a method for the assessment of family members' individual and collective images of the family's adolescent. The Q-Sort of Adolescent Images is a 36-item Q sort that assesses these images along 6 clinically salient, bipolar dimensions of adaptive and maladaptive functioning. It is administered to the adolescent and to both parents individually and to all 3 together. Results reveal each individual's image of the adolescent (including self-image), the family's collective image of the adolescent, and levels of correspondence among the 4 images. Psychometric analyses from 2 studies involving 116 families show encouraging internal consistencies, intercluster correlational structure, and construct validity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)
Until recently the relationships between the family and health and illness had not been investigated scientifically. Clinicians have always dealt with family factors in various ways; they have had to do so because health and the family are inextricably interwoven. Just as ancient healers and 19th century horse-and-buggy doctors must have done, modern clinicians have responded to the family aspects of their patients’ lives, mostly based on their intuition and own life experiences. Medical teachers have rarely tried to advise their students about how to handle such matters, since they lacked a scientific knowledge base on which to found educational precepts. Because research, teaching, and practice are interdependent, this chapter will attempt to glimpse into the future in all three areas, beginning with research.
Objective: To determine which instruments have been used in the assessment of family functioning in the context of mental health. Method: Systematic review according to Cochrane standards in databases: Medline, PubMed and PsycInfo from January 1990 to July 2009. We considered articles in English, Portuguese and Spanish who presented the use of scales, questionnaires and interviews in the assessment of family relationship in the context of mental health. The abstract should specify the name of the instrument, applying at least two family members, to present objective, methodology and results. The keywords used were: family functioning and assessment and psychiatry. Results: This study found 1,162 articles and 20 were selected. The instruments cited were: Family Assessment Device (FAD), Family Environment Scale (FES), Family Assessment Measure (FAM) Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale III (FACES III). The most families dysfunctions were related to: the performance of roles, norms and values, communication, affective involvement and problem resolution. The improvement of family functioning was associated with recovery of patients with mental disorders. Discussion: The use of family assessment instruments can contribute to the planning of therapeutic interventions and rehabilitation in mental health.
This book chapter covers a complex and multifaceted area of family development: families with adolescents. Following some preparatory remarks regarding definitions of terms, this chapter presents two related sections regarding our knowledge base about families facing the demands of this particular developmental period. The first section is concerned with theories that frame our understanding of families with adolescents, whereas the second section deals with family-based research findings. These two sections draw evenly from a broad cross-section of social science disciplines, providing an integrative and concise approach to the interdisciplinary nature of work being conducted in this area of inquiry.
This article reviews three analytic approaches for treating the dyad as the unit of analysis. These approaches are useful for the specific, but quite common, situation in which researchers have information from or about two members of a dyad. Three approaches are described: intraclass correlations as a measure of similarity, repeated measures analysis of variance, and hierarchical linear modeling. All three approaches are used to analyze the same data taken from the first wave of a shortterm longitudinal study of 197 families with adolescent children.
The present study examined the utility of coping congruency and the average level of couple coping, in explaining adjustment to multiple sclerosis (MS) in care receiver-carer dyads. Forty-five dyads were interviewed and completed questionnaires at Time 1 and 12 months later, Time 2. Dependent variables included Time 2 collective distress and individual adjustment. Predictors included Time 1 illness, caregiving, and coping variables. Findings support the utility of both the coping congruence and average level of couple coping concepts in explaining collective and individual adjustment in care receiver-carer dyads.
Systems theory has been applied and influential in a variety of disciplines. Within the field of human sexuality it has been used most often in the clinical areas of sexual dysfunction and abuse. In this article we summarize the theory's historical roots and emergence; review basic assumptions, major concepts and theoretical applications; and evaluate its use and usefulness in human sexuality research.
The sense of coherence (SOC) is a construct that refers to the extent to which one sees one's world as comprehensible, manageable, and meaningful. This article applies the SOC construct to the study of family adaptation. A family SOC scale was developed to measure the perceived coherence of family life. The study tested the hypothesis that the strength of the SOC, central to successful coping with family stressors, is associated with adaptation, here defined in terms of perceived satisfaction with intrafamily and family-community fit. A sample of 60 married Israeli males who were disabled by injury or illness completed SOC and adaptation scales, along with their wives. The data provide strong support for the hypothesis and show a considerable degree of consensus among spouses. The discussion considers the dual meaning of the term "the family SOC," the nature of the links between coherence and adaptation, and the variable conceptions of adaptation.
The study illuminates the unique cultural context for caregiving in a society in transition-the rural Arab community in Israel. The 10 families in the study were forced to adapt to a stressful situation-the chronic illness of an elderly homebound parent. The advent of the illness, family resources, modes of reactions, and family adaptation were explored through semi-structured interviews of four members of each family: the ill elder, his or her spouse (the primary caregiver), and two secondary caregivers, usually a son and daughter-in-law. These data indicate that household arrangements, type of community, and perceived support were the main resources. Perceptions of the illness, patterns of decision-making, modes of interaction and caregiver adaptation were the main themes that emerged. Four styles of family interaction were identified: "unilateral decision," "Rashomon," "working machine," and "roundtable".
Data regarding consensus and mental health were collected from 252 women, their husbands, and an adolescent child who were members of three-generation households. Analyses indicate that consensus is best represented by six separate constructs and mental health by three separate constructs. Mental health of individual family members was differentially predicted by indicators of consensus.
The contribution of qualitative research to the study of families' experiences with childhood illness. In S. L. Feetham, J. M. Bell, & C. L. Gillis (Eds.), The nursing of families (pp. 61-69). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
Dealing with data from multiple family members often presents problems for researchers. Many of the techniques available for dealing with such data are problematic, for a number of reasons. All of them confound these problems with the fact that they are applied evenly across families; there is no means for combining data from multiple family members that does so in a way that is unique to each family studied. The present article uses Q factor analysis to propose one way to do so. The technique is explained and illustrated using a four-person family (mother, father, and two adolescent children).
The investigation of family interaction presents several challenges. Families present methodologic problems because they are an unusual unit for analysis. Most researchers examine the individual as the central unit of analysis, but studies of the family must focus on larger units, such as the dyad, the triad, and the entire family system. Although important efforts have been made to classify these relationships and the individual tendencies in them, much more theoretic and empiric work remains to be done.
Se relaciona la emoción expresada (EE) de los familiares de esquizofrénicos con algunas variables sociodemográficas, estrés y apoyo social.
The study examined the role played by dyadic coping styles (both self-perceptions and perceptions of the other) and interpersonal perceptions of those styles in defining couple functioning. The sample is composed of 124 couples. Results confirmed the association between dyadic coping and relationship satisfaction. With regard to perceptual congruence variables results highlight that Perceived similarity is higher than Actual similarity and that men’s Understanding is higher when referred to negative dyadic coping styles than to positive ones. Moreover self-perceptions and perceptions of the other seemed to be more relevant for relationship satisfaction than perceptual congruence variables.
Many of the persistent problems in family measurement are due to inappropriate applications of theory, fuzzy conceptualizations of constructs, poor decisions regarding units of measurement, and disconnections between what researchers want to measure and how they operationalize their variables of interest. This article contains a series of tasks for family researchers to follow in planning their investigations that will help them avoid fundamental family measurement problems.
Based on 35 nursing research articles, this article reports a methodological and substantive review of nursing research done between 1984 and 1993 regarding the impact of illness on families with a member experiencing ischemic heart disease. Limitations identified include lack of explicit conceptualization of family; implicit definitions of family restricted to the marital dyad; sampling procedures limited by convenience selection, gender, and elite bias; and data generated by individuals not interacting with other family members. Suggestions for future nursing research include integration of the growing body of family research methods, study of family strengths and coping over the process of disease progression, inclusion of the perspectives of children, and the impact on the family developmental life cycle.
This book explores the development of a new path of transition between adolescence and adulthood in recent generations. Whereas traditionally the transition into adulthood was marked by a clear and irreversible change in condition, we are now seeing a continuance in the role and influence of the family on the young adult. What consequences does this have for our society? Is the persistence of emotional bonds which previously loosened during adolescence, inhibiting young people from developing into full adulthood? The authors present a clear and in-depth analysis of the theoretical framework surrounding the transition into adulthood both from a generational point of view and a relationship-centred perspective. The findings of international research are presented and compared across generations, gender and geographical location within Europe. The different research methods of 'family related research' and 'family research' are also distinguished and analysed. This volume offers an original and multi-faceted review of this topic. The family is considered as an organization, and the interdependencies and interconnections between its members, the generations and genders investigated. It offers a unique contribution to the current literature and will appeal to an international audience of researchers, policy makers and educators both in academic and professional spheres. © 2006 Psychology Press for the United Kingdom. All rights reserved.
Marital difficulties for many couples occur early in marriage. Approximately 21% of marriages end within the first two years and 40% end by the fourth year. The consequences for individuals and their families affect emotional well-being, financial stability, and child development. A sample of 93 couples participated in a study in which data were collected on marriage at five intervals between one month and two years. During the first months, age, income, and education have some impact on marital adjustment but this influence weakens in time. Examining results across the two year interval suggests that interpersonal trust, desired spousal behavior change, and emotional maturity are highly associated with marital adjustment. In particular, marital processes of interpersonal trust and desired spousal behavior change at one month are predictive of marital adjustment at two years.
This second chapter serves as an overview of the three main parts of this book: theorizing about families with adolescents,
research on families with adolescents, and application topics concerning families with adolescents. Theoretically, an intergenerational
nurturing definition of families with adolescents is advanced in order to provide parameters around the literature covering
two theoretical frameworks most associated with the field of human development and family science – family development theory
and family systems theory – as well as three additional theories that claim more individual psychological origins: ecological
theory, attachment theory, and social learning theory. The empirical overview offered in this chapter presents a number of
heuristic models that help readers to understand the ways in which the direct and indirect effects of family factors are measured
by researchers, as well as discussing unit of analysis issues that help to define both dyadic and polyadic efforts to understand
families with adolescents. Finally, the application overview sets the stage for a review of both prevention and intervention
efforts targeting families with adolescents. Here, our intergenerational nurturing definition regarding families with adolescents
is used as a litmus test to determine which initiatives actually “do” something that is family-oriented.
Within the paradigm of qualitative methods of inquiry and data analysis are interesting avenues to address the complex task of capturing the family’s experience from a transactional viewpoint. The purposes of this article are to identify strategies for creating family-based data as well as to offer a theoretical discussion of how data analysis can attend to and enhance the knowledge base of the family experience. This discussion will be anchored within the description of an ongoing research study involving the examination of the process of parent-infant attachment. In this research, the processes of maternal and paternal attachments to their infants are regarded as co-constructed phenomena within the family environment. In this context, conceptualization of family interactional variables, strategies to elicit these variables, and paths to qualitative analysis of the data are presented.
The diagnosis of cancer is a family affair. Programs of research that evaluate the impact of the cancer diagnosis and treatment on thefamily system can be used to promote more effective physical and psychosocial adjustment of individual family members and the family as a whole. The purpose of this article is to describe an analysis of published empirical studies examining the impact of the cancer diagnosis and treatment of an adult on family functioning. The theoreticalframework, sample, the unit of analysis, measures, and selectedfindings are identified for each study. Feetham's criteriafor research offamilies are applied to evaluate the studies. Implicationsforfuture theory development and research are also presented.
This article reports on the conceptual development and empirical use of the Family Intrusiveness Scale (FIS), an instrument designed to reflect levels of intrusiveness in the family system. The development of the FIS and initial data regarding its psychometric properties are presented. Furthermore, use of this instrument in published studies is reviewed as evidence of the scale's reliability and validity. Finally, consideration is given to the use of the FIS as a practical and effective tool in future research efforts that focus on adolescents and families.
The construct of family differentiation describes patterns of distance regulation within families. These patterns reflect the relative degree of individuality and intimacy that characterize a family system. Family differentiation levels are linked to a variety of adolescent adjustment variables. Despite being conceptualized theoretically as a bidimensional construct, family differentiation has typically been presented in past research as a unidimensional variable. This study employed the multiple perspectives of mothers, fathers, and adolescents to examine the fit of unidimensional versus bidimensional structure of this family system construct as well as to evaluate its predictive relationship with an adolescent internalized distress latent construct derived from indicators related to anxiety, worry, and depression. Findings supported the bidimensionality of family differentiation and the significant predictive influence of one of the two dimensions (i.e., tolerance for individuality) on the internalized distress of adolescents. These findings and issues related to future research are discussed.
Family counselors have viewed the use of standardized family assessment instruments with considerable ambivalence. This article briefly describes this ambivalence and argues that the use of self-report questionnaires and observational rating scales can enhance a practitioner's clinical assessment in three ways. First, it complements the practitioner's initial assessment; second, it helps in the development of treatment goals; and third, it provides information for evaluating treatment effectiveness. Furthermore, the author contends that the use of assessment instruments can create a collaborative working relationship between client and family counselor. The clinical report and its instruments are discussed, and a case example illustrates the application of the clinical report.
Examined the combined responses of husbands and wives (aged 17–57 yrs) within 785 Navy families on five subscales from the Family Environment Scale (FES) and the Life Experiences Scale (LES) developed by I. G. Sarason et al (see record 1979-25132-001). FES subscale means for Navy families compared favorably with national normative data. LES but not FES scores were significantly related to command assignment and point in the deployment cycle, with significantly lower levels of life stress reported for those sailors and wives assigned to shore duty. Higher life-stress families reported lower scores on FES subscales of cohesiveness, expressiveness, and organization, and higher scores on family conflict. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved)
This research examines the coping patterns of the rural Arab family in caring for a chronically ill elderly relative. The Arab community in Israel is in transition as a result of modernization with changes occurring in the traditional family structure, family norms and living arrangements. This study was conceptualized within the framework of intergenerational solidarity versus ambivalence and utilized a qualitative approach based on the phenomenological paradigm. Data were collected from 10 family units with a chronically ill homebound elder, by means of in-depth interviews. Four people were selected from each unit including the elder, his/her spouse-the primary caregiver-and two other secondary caregivers, usually sons and daughters-in-law. The data indicate the uniqueness of coping patterns among these caregivers in regard to two main components, which are contradictory to findings in the family caregiving literature: differences in the gender of child caregivers and the family readiness to use assistance from formal support systems.
This study evaluates the psychometric properties of the Family System Test (FAST), a figure placement technique designed to represent cohesion and power in the family. The FAST assesses cohesion by distances between figures on a board, and power by height of blocks on which figures are elevated. Cohesion and power scores are derived for the family as a unit, and its various subsystems, including the marital, cross-generational and sibling dyads. The predominantly White, middle-class sample consisted of 137 early adolescents and 130 midadolescents who portrayed their family under three conditions in typical, ideal, and conflict situations. To establish stability all early adolescents and 28 of the midadolescents were seen twice, one week apart. An additional 20 midadolescents were seen four months later. To establish convergent and discriminant validity subjects completed the FACES III and the cohesion and control subscales of the FES. To establish construct validity the data from the FAST were examined as to their consistency with both developmental and family system perspectives. The FAST demonstrated test-retest stability, near-independence of cohesion and power dimensions, as well as convergent and construct validity. In general, psychometric properties of the FAST were better for midadolescents than for early adolescents. Advantages of the FAST as a research and clinical tool are discussed.
Evaluated a social-learning formulation of marital distress. It was hypothesized that unhappily (vs happily) married couples would show a deficit in problem solving by indicating significantly more unresolved problems. It was also expected that unhappily married couples would indicate less involvement with one another in both elective free-time activities and shared sexuality. 50 happy and 50 unhappy couples filled out the Areas of Change Questionnaire and the Marital Activities Inventory. All hypotheses were confirmed.
The family concepts of two groups of ten families each, of higher and lower adjustment, were compared by means of the Family-Concept Q Sort and several other measures. The findings supported all the specific hypotheses of the study at reasonable levels of significance, as well as the general hypothesis that the actual adjustment of the family is in part a function of the family concepts of the parents. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved)
Compared the communication interactions of 12 maritally distressed and 12 nondistressed (as determined by the Locke-Wallace Marital Adjustment Test) couples while they engaged in conflict resolution tasks. Analyses of ratings from 2 behavioral observation systems (Interpersonal Behavior Rating System and the Coding Scheme for Interpersonal Conflict) indicated that distressed couples made significantly more negative and fewer positive cognitive and problem-solving acts. Sequential analyses showed that distressed couples evidenced more reciprocity of negative communications as compared with nondistressed couples. The influence of individual spouse, couple type, and other experimental factors on communication patterns were quantified using multivariate analyses. The relationships of these findings to the etiology and treatment of marital distress are discussed. (28 ref)
Although rapid smoking has proved to be a successful treatment strategy for smokers, its hazard potential has been recently debated. In the present study, 6 Ss (mean age 30.8 yrs) were monitored throughout 8 standard sessions of rapid smoking. Heart rate, blood pressure, and carboxyhemoglobin increases were generally higher than those reported in the few extant physiological studies of rapid smoking, and EKG abnormalities occurred in several Ss during rapid smoking. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Fifty seven direct observation studies comparing family interaction in disturbed (schizophrenic and nonschizophrenic) and normal families were systematically evaluated. Major sections of the review include: a critical evaluation of the methodological adequacy of reviewed studies in terms of various design standards and controls; an extensive review of substantive findings relevant to the content domains of dominance, conflict, affect and communication clarity; and a discussion of difficulties involved in comparison of results because of cross study differences in diagnostic status of experimental groups, measurement techniques, type of analyses and demographic factors.
Although rapid smoking has proved to be a successful treatment strategy for smokers, its hazard potential has been recently debated. In the present study, 6 Ss (mean age 30.8 yrs) were monitored throughout 8 standard sessions of rapid smoking. Heart rate, blood pressure, and carboxyhemoglobin increases were generally higher than those reported in the few extant physiological studies of rapid smoking, and EKG abnormalities occurred in several Ss during rapid smoking. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved).
Hill's ABCX family crisis framework has continued to serve as the foundation for the research and theory building efforts of the past decade of family stress investigations. Research conducted to date reveals a concerted effort to identify which families, under what conditions, with what resources, and involving what coping behaviors are better able to endure the hardships of family life. Four major domains of research are underscored: family response to non-normative events (e.g., wars, disasters, illness); family response to normative transitions over the life span (e.g., parenthood, retirement); the nature and importance of family psychological resources and perceptions; and the nature and importance of social support and coping in the management of stress. The future prospects for research and theory building in this important domain are discussed.
Two groups of families were compared. In one group each family contained an adolescent girl who scored high on a number of psychological and social measures which reflect general maturity, including Loevinger's measure of ego development, a sociometric questionnaire and selected scales from California Psychological Inventory. The comparison group contained families with an adolescent girl who scored low on these same measures. Families were selected through local high schools, and were middle class, white, intact families with two or three children. Adolescents in the high scoring group came from families more likely to describe themselves as flexible and trusting in their interpersonal lifestyle. The high scoring adolescents were less likely to be triangled into the marital relationship--either as a scapegoat or in a cross-generational coalition with one parent.
This paper describes the development and application of a procedure (The Relationship World Index) to measure the development of intimate relationships. Grounded in symbolic interaction theory, the Relationship World Index is a measure of agreement on important aspects of relationships between members of intimate dyads. The development of the measure was guided by assumptions inherent in symbolic interactionism that predict the emergence of a shared construction of reality that bonds relationship members. Research results are presented providing evidence for the reliability and validity of the measure.
Mothers, when questioned on various aspects of the health of the family unit or on the same aspect at different time periods, tend to give meaningful but not consistent information. Evidently they apply a selective censorship on each occasion, separate the reportable data and suppress the others. This censorship is affected by the norms of medical relevance and social desirability as well as the time-related variations in actual morbidity.RésuméAu cours d'une étude longitudinale, un essai a été fait d'investiguer si l'information donnée par la mère concernant la famille comme unité de comportement de santé est digne de confiance. A l'aide de trois instruments de recherche, l'information a été obtenue parmi un échantillon de families à petit bénéfice, sur les différents aspects de la santé (emploi des facilités sanitaires durant l'année, histoire de la santé des enfants, incidence d'épisodes morbides sur une période de 4 semaines) et pour les mêmes aspects (incidences d'épisodes morbides) en différentes saisons (été contre hiver).Les résultats indiquent une consistance interne pour chaque instrument mais pas de consistance entre les différents instruments. Aucun des indices éstablis sur base des informations de la mére n'ont pu être considérés comme mesure unitaire rationnelle de la santé de la famille.La santé générale de la famille semble consister en un tel nombre d'événements disparates que leur souvenir total ou leur rapport consistant sur une période de temps spécifique ou des séquences spécifiques, est pratiquement impossible. Au moment de fournir ses informations, la mère effectue une censure sélective, sépare les évènements à rapporter et supprime les autres. Les normes de pertinence médicale et de désirabilité sociale influencent cette censure.La pertinence médicale de tout évenement, telle que définie par la mére, fonctionne pour établir un minimum nécessaire de sérieux au dessous duquel un évènement demeure inimportant et non rapporté; en même temps, elle arrange des évènements indépendants en une image complète se centrant autour du point de relevance médicale.Les normes de désirabilité sociale tendent à censurer les évènements qui sont contraires aux conditions de prestige désirées à moins que la relevance médicale s'y rapportant recommande leur rapport.Les normes réglant la censure sont affectées par les variations saisonnières des maladies ainsi que par les changements liés au développement et à la croissance des enfants. Les normes changent lorsque les relevances médicales changent d'une situation à la suivante, et les mêmes symptômes peuvent être rapportés à une occasion, mais pas à la suivante. Lorsque questionnées sur une période définie ou un aspect de santé, les méres bâtissent leurs informations selon les relevances médicales impliquées; de là, chaque instrument de recherche tend à indiquer une consistance interne. Mais deux points différents de relevance médicale ne sont pas nécessairement relatés et les données amassées sur une seule famille à différentes époques ou se référant à divers aspects de santé ne sont pas nécessairement reliées.ResumenEn el curso de un estudio longitudinal, se trató de investigar el crédito que se podía dar a la información que una madre suministra sobre su familia como unidad natural de conducta en relación con la salud. Con ayuda de tres instrumentos de investigación, se obtuvo información de un grupo muestral de familias de ingresos bajos acérca de distintos aspectos de la salud (utilización de facilidades de sanidad en el pasado año, historial de la salud de los hijos, incidencia de episodios morbosos durante un período de cuatro semanas), así como la incidencia de estos últimos en estaciones diferentes del año (verano e invierno).Los resultados mostraron una consistencia interna para cada instrumento de investigación, pero no así entre los varios instrumentos. Ninguno de los índices preparados basándose en la información proporcionada por la madre pudo considerarse como sola medida comprensiva de la salud de la familia.La salud general de la familia parece estar formada de tantos acontecimientos diferentes, que es prácticamente imposible recordarlos o registrarlos consistentemente en su totalidad durante un plazo de tiempo especificado o en secuencias especificadas. La madre, al suministrar la información, aplica una censura selectiva, separa los acontecimientos informables y suprime los demás. Las normas de pertinencia médica y de conveniencia social influencian esta censura.La pertinencia médica de cualquier acontecimiento, según como la define la madre, funciona para establecer requisitos mínimos de seriedad por debajo de los cuales deja de relatarse el acontecimiento; al mismo tiempo, esa pertinencia adapta los acontecimientos independientes para formar un cuadro que haga sentido alrededor del punto médicamente pertinente.Las normas de conveniencia social tienden a censurar los casos que son contrarios al prestigio social deseado a menos que su pertinencia médica aconseje el que se relaten.Las normas que regulan la censura están afectadas por variaciones estacionales en la salud, así como también por los cambios relacionados con el crecimiento y desarrollo normales de los niños. Las normas cambian según cambie la pertinencia médica de una situación a la próxima, y el mismo sintoma que se declara en una ocasión no se relata en la próxima. Cuando se le preguntó acerca de un periodo de tiempo o de un aspecto de la salud, la madre clasificó su información de acuerdo con la pertinencia médica implicita; de aqui que cada instrumento de investigación tienda a mostrar una consistencia interna. Pero dos puntos diferentes de pertinencia médica no están necesariamente relacionados, ni lo están tampoco los datos recogidos sobre la misma familia en tiempos diferentes o con referencia a various aspectos de la salud.ZusammenfassungEs wurde versucht, im Rahmen einer Längs-Untersuchung die Zuverlässigkeit der Auskünfte die eine Mutter über ihre Familie als natürliche Einheit des Gesundheitsverhaltens gibt zu untersuchen. Mit Hilfe dreier Messeinrichtungen wurde Auskunft über verschiedene Gesundheits-Aspekte der Probe-Familien mit niedrigem Einkommen erhalten (Verwendung der Gesundheits-Vorsehungen im vergangenen Jahre, Gesundheit der Kinder, Morbid-Fälle in einer vierwochen Periode) weiters über denselben Aspekt (Morbid-Fälle) in verschiedenen Jahreszeiten (Sommer gegen Winter).Die Resultate waren konsistent im Rahmen der einzelnen Messeinrichtungen, aber nicht konsistent von Messeinrichtung zu Messeinrichtung. Keine der Kennziffern die auf mütterlichen Auskünften beruhten konnte als einzelne zuverlässige Messung des Familien Gesundheitszustandes gelten.Der allgemeine Gesundheitszustand einer Familie hängt von so vielen und verschiedenen Geschehnissen ab, dass es unmöglich scheint eine völlige Geschichte für eine bestimmte Zeitspanne zu erhalten. Die Mutter, die Auskunft gibt korrigiert die Geschichte, indem sie Gescheihnisse meldet oder nicht meldet. Diese Auswahl wird durch Normen beeinflusst die entweder medizinisch oder sozial bedingt sind.Medizinisch, vom Gesichtspunkte der Mutter gesehen, ist die Bedeutsamkeit eines Ereignisses das gemeldet werden soll; weiters werden die unbedeutenden Ereignisse entsprechend gruppiert um die wichtigeren Ereignisse zu betonen.Sozial erwünscht oder nicht ist ein Ereigniss je nachdem es in die erwünschte Sozialstellung passt, soferne die medizinische Witchtigkeit nicht ausschlaggebend ist.Die Korrekturnorm ändert sich mit der Jahreszeit wie auch mit dem normalen Wachsen und Entwicklung der Kinder. Die Normen ändern sich auch je nach der Situation, sodass das gleiche Geschehniss einmal ja und das nächste mal nicht gemeldet werden kann. Je nach der Bedeutsamkeit ändert sich die Auskunft die für eine gewisse Zeitspanne gegeben wird, sodass jedes Messinstrument an sich konsistent ist. Zwie verschiede Punkte bleiben nicht notwendigerweise im gleichen Verhältnis, und Auskünfte über die gleiche Familie in verschiedenen Zeitspannen oder für verschiedene Aspekte sind oft verschieden.
Exciting developments in family theory construction over the past few years demand a constant survey and evaluation of measurable progress. This paper documents some developmental trends that have taken place in family theory construction and its applications, as well as in the relation of theory to advances in methodology. Many of these trends are examined in the light of two earlier reports, Pilgrim's Progress I (21) and Pilgrim's Progress H (13).
Recent family interaction studies are reviewed with an emphasis on looking for dimensions along which disturbed and normal families differ. Several areas of consistency in the literature were found, including: family coalition patterns, patterns of conflict, flexibility versus rigidity, family effectiveness and efficiency, and deviant styles of communication. It was concluded that several measures reliably discriminate disturbed from normal families and that one type of measure in particular is a reliable predictor of thought disorder in offspring. Implications for clinical practice and future research are discussed.
This paper updates the theoretical work on the Circumplex Model and provides revised and new hypotheses. Similarities and contrasts to the Beavers Systems Model are made along with comments regarding Beavers and Voeller's critique. FACES II, a newly revised assessment tool, provides both “perceived” and “ideal” family assessment that is useful empirically and clinically.
"Some suggested aids in learning statistics": p.11-12
The conceptual clustering of numerous concepts from family therapy and other social science fields reveals two significant dimensions of family behavior, cohesion and adaptability. These two dimensions are placed into a circumplex model that is used to identify 16 types of marital and family systems. The model proposes that a balanced level of both cohesion and adaptability is the most functional to marital and family development. It postulates the need for a balance on the cohesion dimension between too much closeness (which leads to enmeshed systems) and too little closeness (which leads to disengaged systems). There also needs to be a balance on the adaptability dimension between too much change (which leads to chaotic systems) and too little change (which leads to rigid systems). The model was developed as a tool for clinical diagnosis and for specifying treatment goals with couples and families.
Evaluated a social-learning formulation of marital distress. It was hypothesized that unhappily (vs happily) married couples would show a deficit in problem solving by indicating significantly more unresolved problems. It was also expected that unhappily married couples would indicate less involvement with one another in both elective free-time activities and shared sexuality. 50 happy and 50 unhappy couples filled out the Areas of Change Questionnaire and the Marital Activities Inventory. All hypotheses were confirmed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
A sample of 100 families measured on ten dimensions of their social environments was subjected to cluster analysis to develop an empirically based taxonomy of families. Six distinctive clusters of families were indentified: Expression-Oriented, Structure-Oriented, Independence-Oriented, Achievement-Oriented, Moral/Religious-Oriented and Conflict-Oriented. The clusters showed systematic differences in background characteristics such as size, ethnic minority composition, drinking patterns, and family disturbance and incongruence. Some evidence that certain clusters of families are composed of different sub-clusters was presented. An empirically derived taxonomy of the social environments of families may help to understand how different family environments are linked to different family outcomes.
While a great deal is known about the health and health care of the population as a whole, little is known about the family as a basic unit of health. Fallowing the work of Reuben Hill & Associates, a three-generational exploratory study of the health and health care of a select group of families living in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area was undertaken in 1967-68. Some 210 nuclear families (70 three-generation linkages), all residingwithin a 75 mile radius of the Twin Cities area, were interviewed intensively, five times over the course of a year. Data of both a cross-sectional as well as longitudinal nature were obtained. Although only in its formative stage of analysis, our study has seemed to demonstrate not only the feasibility and value of intergenerational-family analysis to the field of health care but highlight the relatively precarious position of the younger generation vis-a-vis the financial demands of illness and the ill preparedness of their grandparents to cope with their health care problems as well. Finally, our findings tend to lend at least partial support to Parson and Fox's rather pessimistic view of the role of the family in health care, suggesting somewhat greater universality than originally proposed.
This paper updates the theoretical work on the Circumplex Model and provides revised and new hypotheses. Similarities and contrasts to the Beavers Systems Model are made along with comments regarding Beavers and Voeller's critique. FACES II, a newly revised assessment tool, provides both "perceived" and "ideal" family assessment that is useful empirically and clinically.
Despite the position of the family as the basic social unit, the majority of studies of medical care utilization focus on individuals. In this preliminary study, nine families of high utilizers and 12 families of low utilizers were compared using the Moos Family Environment Scale and a semistructured interview. Significant differences were seen in structure, interactional patterns, and health-related behavior. The high utilizer families, as a whole, saw themselves as less expressive and more achievement-oriented. High utilizer children saw much more parental control than did low utilizer children. There was greater divergence in perspective between husbands and wives of high utilizing families than between spouses in low utilizing families. High utilizer families were less social than low utilizer families. There was greater use of tranquilizers and greater dissatisfaction with doctors in the high utilizer families as well.
Spiegel's (20) distinction between studies of relations and studies of transactions are reviewed and applied to the tendency of current research to assess transactional theory using methods that are focused on individual elements. Several of the complexities of transactional research are reviewed with a call for the utilization of methods that are more commensurate with the level of theory under test.
Prediction Accuracy Perceived Similarity and Actual Similarity in Marital Satisfaction ”Paper presented at the 15th Annual Convention of the Association for Advancement of Behavior Therapy Toronto Canada
- I Arias
- K D Leary
Arias, I. and O'Leary, K. D., "Prediction Accuracy, Perceived Similarity and Actual Similarity in Marital Satisfaction," Paper presented at the 15th Annual Convention of the Association for Advancement of Behavior Therapy, Toronto, Canada, November, 1981.
On the Analysis of Dyadic Data: Proposal of an Innovation ”Paper presented at American Psychological Association Meetings
- T W Draper
Draper, T. W., "On the Analysis of Dyadic Data: Proposal of an Innovation," Paper presented at American Psychological Association Meetings, Washington, D.C., 1982.
Family Patterns of Illness
- Peachy R.