Family Systems Therapy Concepts Quiz

In Family Systems Therapy, the goal is for families to maintain a state of balance and stability known as homeostasis. This involves mutual support, communication, and healthy boundaries within the family unit.

Equilibrium in families means maintaining a balance between the challenges they face and the resources they have available to address those challenges. It does not mean being in a state of extreme imbalance, having no challenges, or being able to overcome all challenges without resources.

Feedback loops refer to the pathways through which systems maintain balance or produce change. These can either lead to morphogenesis (creation of new forms) or morphostasis (maintenance of existing forms).

Morphostasis refers to the ability of a family to maintain its structure and function despite external challenges or changes over time. It is focused on the persistence and continuity of family systems.

Equifinality refers to the concept that families can achieve the same goal through different pathways or methods, highlighting the flexibility and adaptability of family systems.

A negative feedback loop in biological systems helps to regulate and maintain internal stability or homeostasis by reversing any deviations from the set point.

A Positive Feedback Loop is designed to amplify or accelerate change, leading either towards growth or dissolution of a system or process.

Bowen is the one who is associated with Extended Family Systems Theory, not Freud, Jung, or Skinner.

Extended Family Systems Theory focuses on the process of self-differentiation, which involves individual family members developing their own identity and autonomy within the family system.

The correct answer is Extended Family Systems Theory, which highlights the role of triangles and the instability of dyads in relationships.

Bowen's theory of Nuclear Family Emotional Processes highlights how emotional patterns can be passed down through generations within a family, impacting the emotional behaviors and responses of family members.

The Nuclear Family Emotional Process can often lead to open conflict, physical/emotional problems, emotional distance, substance abuse, and depression. Avoidance of conflict, healthy communication, and strong family bonds are less common reactions in this context.

The Family Projection Process, as described by Bowen, involves a family member with a problem being 'triangulated' to stabilize a dyad as an extension of the Nuclear Family Emotional Process.

The Multigenerational Transmission Process refers to family emotional processes that are carried over through at least 3 generations, often influencing current family dynamics based on past experiences.

Sibling position refers to the specific role or projection that each child takes within a family system, often influenced by birth order and family dynamics.

Emotional cutoff, as described by Bowen, refers to individuals who physically or emotionally distance themselves from their families but still maintain strong emotional ties, often leading to repeated patterns across generations.

The Societal Emotional Process refers to social expectations about racial & class groups, sexual orientation, etc., where one generation's notions of race/class are passed down to another generation.

Bowen believed that emotional fusion or high levels of anxiety in the family are the root cause of problems in Extended Family Systems Therapy as it can lead to dysfunction and conflicts within the family system.

In Extended Family Systems Therapy, the member with the symptoms is considered the least differentiated as they are often enmeshed in the family's emotional processes and have difficulty separating their own emotions from the larger family system.

Bowens Theory distinguishes between vertical problems, which are intergenerational in nature, and horizontal problems, which are related to environmental stressors.

Extended Family Therapy focuses on addressing issues within the family system as a whole, reframing problems as multigenerational, reducing anxiety, promoting differentiation, using the therapist as a healthy resource, helping individuals separate from damaging family dynamics, and repairing family ties. The incorrect answers provided go against the principles of Extended Family Therapy.

Extended Family Therapy focuses on specific techniques like lowering anxiety, maintaining neutrality, using 'I' statements, and incorporating genograms to address family dynamics.

Structural Family Therapy was developed by Salvador Minuchin, who is considered the pioneer of this therapeutic approach. Virginia Satir is associated with the development of Family Systems Therapy, while Carl Whitaker is known for his contributions to Experiential Family Therapy.

Structural Family Therapy focuses on behavior rather than insight, emphasizing the interactions and patterns within the family system.

Structural Family Therapy is based on the premise that all families have inherent structures which impact their functioning and relationships. It emphasizes the importance of boundaries, hierarchies, and how family members interact within these structures.

Structural therapists focus on the family structure as the root cause of maladaptive behavior, rather than individual factors or societal influences.

Structural Family Therapy aims to restructure the family system as a whole, rather than placing blame on individuals or removing someone from the household. It focuses on the relationships and dynamics within the family unit to bring about long-term positive change.

Structural Therapy focuses on the interactions and structures within a family system, including the alignment of family members, power hierarchies, and subsystems. Options 1, 2, and 3 do not directly relate to the key elements of Structural Therapy.