Deck 4: Family Systems Theory

Question 1

As defined by family stress theory, stressor events are neither positive nor negative.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Family stress and crisis are interchangeable terms that mean a state or period of disorganization.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Pileup refers to multiple stressors accumulating over time.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

How individuals interpret a stressor is as important as accessing resources when
determining how a family will react to a crisis.

Question 5

Social support can be thought of as a resource.

Question 6

Stressors are discrete life events which impact the family unit.

Question 7

Something that has a positive impact on one's life can still be seen as a stressor.

Question 8

Families who are less integrated are better able to deal with stress.

Question 9

According to the ABC-X model one of the most important resources we can access is money.

Question 10

Ambiguous losses are easier to cope with than are those that are normative.

Question 11

Stress is different than crisis because when you are stressed you are unbalanced but are still coping, whereas when you are in crisis you don't function adequately.

Question 12

The ABC-X model is more capable of examining stressor pile-up than the Double ABC-X model.

Question 13

Families are either in crisis or they are not in crisis.

Question 14

Normative events tend to be chronic in nature.

Question 15

According to Hill's roller-coaster profile of adjustment model, which stage is characterized by a family's attempts to cope with a stress-provoking event?

A) Crisis
B) Period of Disorganization
C) Angle of Recovery
D) Level of Reorganization

Question 16

According to Hill, learning to meet the needs of a newborn infant would be an example of which stage of the Roller-coaster profile of adjustment to crisis?

A) reorganization
B) recovery
C) crisis
D) period of disorganization

Question 17

Which of the following is an acute stressor?

A) Getting into a car accident
B) Caring for a relative with Lou Gehrig's disease
C) The death of a great-grandparent
D) The adoption of a child

Question 18

McCubbin and Patterson (1985) came up with three categories of resources: individual, family, and community. Which of the following is an example of a family resource?

A) Job experience
B) Equitable household division of labor
C) Attending a networking brunch with co-workers
D) Personal motivation

Question 19

Recall the story at the beginning of the chapter. Which concept best describes the Peabody's feelings of joy that their twins bring them despite the worry and exhaustion they still face?

A) Adaption
B) Crisis
C) Definition of the situation
D) Resources

Question 20

The double ABC-X model by McCubbin and Patterson (1982) adds to the ABC-X model by:

A) Predicting future crises
B) Taking into account experiences of those who experience oppression on a continual basis, such as minority status individuals.
C) Defining the criteria that affect the degree to which a stressor will impact a family.
D) Including a post-crisis period of adjustment, whereby families must respond not only to the initial crisis, but also to the events that precede and follow it as well.

Question 21

A normative stressor can be described as all of the following, EXCEPT,

A) Something that occurs in all families.
B) Something that can be anticipated.
C) Something that is chronic.
D) Something that is short-term.

Question 22

According to Lazarus and Folkman (1984), Coping methods-interactions between resources (B) and perceptions (C)-can be divided into three primary categories: using direct actions, intrapsychically, or by controlling the emotions associated with the stressor itself. Which of the following is an example of intrapsychic coping?

A) Considering a worse alternative to a current situation.
B) Seeking the expertise of a guidance counselor.
C) Abusing drugs as a means of alleviating distressing emotions.
D) Seeking out friends for emotional support.

Question 23

According to Smith and Hamon, which of the following statements about family stress theory is TRUE?

A) The Women's Movement was the impetus for the scientific study of how families deal with stress.
B) According to Hill's roller-coaster profile of adjustment, families go through four stages when faced with a crisis: crisis, disorganization, recovery, and reorganization.
C) Koos is responsible for the conclusion that a family's reaction to stressors is dependent upon integration and adaptability.
D) All of the above are TRUE.

Question 24

________________ is to ABCX model of family stress as _____________ are to Double ABCX model of family stress.

A) Hans Selye/Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe
B) R. C. Angell/R. S. Cavan and K. H. Ranck
C) Reuben Hill/Hamilton McCubbin and Joan Patterson
D) Pauline Boss/E. L. Koos and Reuben Hill

Question 25

Mundane Extreme Environmental Stress (MEES)

A) was developed by Peters and Massey.
B) adds an A factor which represents constant exposure to racial discrimination, most of which is both chronic and unpredictable.
C) adds a D factor which represents the pervasive environmental stress associated with being of minority status in the United States.
D) adds a Y factor which represents the lens through which crisis situations must be viewed for Black families, since their experiences are different from those of majority status.
E) is and does all of the above.

Question 26

According to Pauline Boss,

A) boundary ambiguity exists when a family member is physically absent, but psychologically present.
B) boundary ambiguity exists when a family member is physically present, but psychologically absent.
C) when there is ambiguity regarding a family member's presence or absence in the family system, the situation is called ambiguous loss.
D) All of the above are true.

Question 27

What is one advantage of the Double ABCX Model over Hill's earlier ABCX Model?

A) It focuses on pre-crisis areas and how a family got into the crisis.
B) It provides for normative transitions through stages of crisis.
C) It includes post-crisis areas and how a family recovers over time.
D) It accounts for differences in families-of-origin when two quite opposite people form a long-term relationship.

Question 28

Which of the following is an example of a family resource?

A) Being able to pull the family together
B) Being flexible
C) Asking for outside help
D) All of these choices are family resources

Question 29

Which of the following is a "resource" for dealing with family stressors?

A) previous experience
B) adaptability
C) material items like money, time, and space
D) personal characteristics like self-esteem
E) all of the above are resources

Question 30

Cognitively reframing a problem so that it doesn't seem so overwhelming is an example of what kind of coping resource?

A) controlling the emotions
B) intrapsychic coping
C) self-fulfilling prophesy
D) direct action

Question 31

Which of the following statements is TRUE about crisis?

A) Crisis occurs when the family is no longer able to maintain its usual balance
B) All stressors will lead to crisis
C) Families follow a typical pattern before entering crisis
D) Families are usually broken apart because of crisis

Question 32

Sarah and her family have recovered from a serious family crisis. Although it was stressful, they are stronger now than they have ever been as a result of living through this together. How would you describe their adaptation?

A) bonadaptation
B) maladaptation
C) somewhere between bonadaptation and maladaptation
D) intrapsychic

Question 33

Luke and Laura have a 4 year old daughter named Sophie who was diagnosed with cancer. They have taken Sophie to multiple specialists seeking treatment advice. They have done research online and talked to other parents who have a child like Sophie. What part of the ABC-X model are they currently focusing on?

A) stressor event
B) resources
C) definition of the situation
D) crisis

Question 34

Dealing with a natural disaster such as a forest fire that destroys your home is an example of what kind of stressor?

A) discrete
B) acute
C) situational
D) bonadaptation

Question 35

Match the term or concept with its appropriate definition.
-Stressor

A) state or period of disorganization that rocks the foundation of the family
B) how the family recovers from the crisis
C) an event that is predictable, short term, and happens in most families
D) life events that impact that family and have the potential to produce change in the system
E) Things we can access to help deal with a stressor

Question 36

Match the term or concept with its appropriate definition.
-Normative event

A) state or period of disorganization that rocks the foundation of the family
B) how the family recovers from the crisis
C) an event that is predictable, short term, and happens in most families
D) life events that impact that family and have the potential to produce change in the system
E) Things we can access to help deal with a stressor

Question 37

Match the term or concept with its appropriate definition.
-Resources

A) state or period of disorganization that rocks the foundation of the family
B) how the family recovers from the crisis
C) an event that is predictable, short term, and happens in most families
D) life events that impact that family and have the potential to produce change in the system
E) Things we can access to help deal with a stressor

Question 38

Match the term or concept with its appropriate definition.
-Crisis

A) state or period of disorganization that rocks the foundation of the family
B) how the family recovers from the crisis
C) an event that is predictable, short term, and happens in most families
D) life events that impact that family and have the potential to produce change in the system
E) Things we can access to help deal with a stressor

Question 39

Match the term or concept with its appropriate definition.
-Adaptation

A) state or period of disorganization that rocks the foundation of the family
B) how the family recovers from the crisis
C) an event that is predictable, short term, and happens in most families
D) life events that impact that family and have the potential to produce change in the system
E) Things we can access to help deal with a stressor

Question 40

Discuss the statistics regarding who is most susceptible to stress, careers that are deemed to be the most stressful, and physical reactions to stress. Talk about which parts of the ABC-X model could be used to alleviate the most serious physical reactions to stress, or could be used by those in highly stressful jobs.

Question 41

Talk about the Kubler-Ross five stages of grief for when someone is dying: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance. How does this relate to the ABC-X model?

Question 42

Show a movie clip depicting a stressor event and reactions to the event, such as the first 7 minutes of Moonlight and Valentino, and have students apply the ABC-X model to the scene.

Question 43

Show a video clip such as excerpts from the TV show Teen Mom and have students identify the eight criteria of Lipman-Bluman's (1975) that determine the impact of a stressor event as shown in the video.