Deck 5: Ecological Systems Theory

Question 1

According to system's theory, the locus of pathology is within the person.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Within human social interactions, there are a number of forces moving in many directions simultaneously.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Positive feedback occurs when a family member begins to move outside the accepted limits of family behavior and others enact corrective measures to get that member back in line.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Many family rules are implicit, including rules governing communication and authority.

Question 5

Individuals are responsible for their own behavior, but no behavior can be understood in isolation

Question 6

For a system to survive, it is best to have a balance between positive feedback loops and negative feedback loops.

Question 7

Systems theory is more focused on how couples/families interact during conflict than on what the issues are that causes them conflict.

Question 8

The primary source of dysfunctions is individual behaviors, not communication patterns.

Question 9

You can change the family role of one member without the other family members having to change their roles.

Question 10

The most powerful family rules are almost always explicit.

Question 11

All families have boundaries.

Question 12

It is important to figure out which member of the family is causing the problems so you can move forward with helping the family fix those issues.

Question 13

Family enmeshment is always a positive family environment.

Question 14

Without intentionality, families have a natural tendency toward entropy.

Question 15

All systems, including the family, are based on a power structure or a hierarchy.

Question 16

FACES is a multi-item instrument designed to measure family cohesion and family adaptability.

Question 17

The way in which a family system changes its relationship rules, power structure, and role expectancies in response to either normal developmental changes or crises depends upon its

A) adaptability.
B) cohesion.
C) organizational structure.
D) family members education and income.

Question 18

Sometimes a family is compared to a mobile. What Dad does affects his son Blair; what Blair does affects his sister Michaela, etc. These family members keep establishing some form of balance. This mobile and example illustrate that families operate as

A) units.
B) alliances.
C) systems.
D) separates independent of one another.

Question 19

Angela and Alberto constantly spend evenings and weekends together. Their children go to school but are not encouraged to join school or community activities. They may not have friends to their home to play or to stay overnight. This family would be described as

A) an open system.
B) a disengaged system.
C) a semi-permeable system.
D) a closed system.

Question 20

"Filtering out any external elements that seem hostile to the goals and policies of the family while at the same time incorporating those that are deemed beneficial" is the process identified by Kantor and Lehr (1975) as

A) creating rules.
B) bounding.
C) controlling.
D) maintaining equilibrium.

Question 21

According to Smith and Hamon, a double bind

A) is a type of pathological communication.
B) occurs when a person is given two commands that contradict each other.
C) creates distress because the individual cannot obey one command without disobeying the other.
D) is all of the above.

Question 22

According to Smith and Hamon, which is a critique of systems theory?

A) The major concepts are too vague for true testing and do not predict in the sense of deducing from propositions.
B) The theory is too global and abstract.
C) The theory is most useful for examining sequential patterns of interaction, communication and control, goal orientation, boundary maintenance, and complex relationships.
D) All of the above are critiques of the theory.

Question 23

Adopting a family systems perspective means

A) you cannot fully understand a person without knowing something about his or her family.
B) you will always observe and analyze families by paying attention to the relationships among members as opposed to paying attention only to one individual.
C) you realize that what may be viewed as problematic behavior in one setting may be functional in another context.
D) you realize that a change in one part of the system affects every part of the system.
E) you do all of the above.

Question 24

According to Smith and Hamon, which of the following assumptions about systems theory is TRUE?

A) The locus of pathology is not within the person, but is a system dysfunction.
B) A family is much more than a collection of individuals who live together and are related to each other; the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.
C) Rules result from the redundancy principle and are discovered in retrospect.
D) Feedback loops or circular causality guide behavior.
E) All of the above are true.

Question 25

From the family systems perspective, psychopathology or dysfunctional behavior results from a struggle

A) between persons.
B) between internal forces with a single person.
C) between the individual's conscious and unconscious mind.
D) between dwelling on childhood experiences and living in the present.

Question 26

Which family role is most likely to be played by the eldest child?

A) enabler
B) delinquent
C) clown
D) hero

Question 27

A mother asks her family, "What do you want me to make for dinner tomorrow, lasagna or pot roast?" The kids say they would like lasagna, to which the mom angrily responds, "You don't like my pot roast?" This is an example of:

A) codependence
B) double bind
C) negative feedback
D) epistemology

Question 28

Dad has had a heart attack and the family has gathered at the hospital to await news from the doctor. The sister was the last to arrive as she had to drive in from out of town. As she walks into the hospital room, the brother exclaims, "I'm so glad you're here! I have kept everything as lighthearted as possible but we need someone who can help us figure out what to do when the doctor gives us out options and that person is you!" What role does the sister play in this family?

A) The clown
B) The invisible child
C) The delinquent
D) The hero

Question 29

Caroline, an adult daughter, reduced her work hours to provide care to her father, Don. Don has been living with Caroline and her family for the last several months, since his stroke. Caroline, always the responsible child, looks forward to her brother John's visit each week so that she can get some errands done outside of the home. John has a way of lifting everyone's spirits with his wit and sense of humor. What role does brother John play in this family?

A) The clown
B) The invisible child
C) The delinquent
D) The hero

Question 30

Alicia and Chris have been arguing a lot at home and are contemplating divorce. Cooper hears them arguing but hides in the hallway so they don't know he can hear them. One day the principal from Cooper's school calls the parents in for a conference and reports that Cooper has been acting out in school and hit another boy during an argument. The family seeks therapy at the suggestion of the principal. Alicia starts the session by saying they have come for help because Cooper is having problems at school. Which of the following terms would describe the role of Cooper?

A) The cause of the family's problems
B) The identified patient
C) The double bind
D) The morphogenesis

Question 31

Marcia's parents have never told her what to do or how to behave. She is driving now and has no curfew, can drive whenever she wants, wherever she wants, and can invite friends to her house or go to their houses without permission. Marcia's family has which kind of boundaries?

A) open
B) closed
C) random
D) delinquent

Question 32

Sam's family has an unwritten rule that you do not invite people over without approval from his parents. One day at school Sam has a friend, Charlie, whose dad was supposed to pick him up but got stuck at the airport and is going to be a few hours late. The school buses have already left, so Sam tells Charlie he can come home with him until his dad gets home, even though Sam could not get in touch with his parents to seek permission. While Sam's parents are polite to Charlie, they tell Sam in private that he is grounded for a week for inviting Charlie over without their permission. What is Sam's punishment an example of?

A) negative feedback
B) positive feedback
C) circular causality
D) redundancy principle

Question 33

Laura and Mike have been fighting about how to spend their money. When Laura forces the conversation Mike retreats and refuses to talk about it. Then Laura pushes even more, at which point Mike leaves the house. Systems theory would suggest which of the following statements is true?

A) Laura needs to stop pushing Mike so hard when they talk about issues.
B) Mike needs to stop retreating when Laura tried to talk to him about issues
C) Money is a topic that Mike and Laura will probably never be able to discuss freely
D) This pattern of behavior would probably exist regardless of topic, and Mike and Laura need to learn how to break the communication pattern

Question 34

While a pizza has its individual ingredients like sauce, pepperoni, crust, and cheese, the product you get when you put them all together and bake them is different than the individual ingredients with which you started. This is an example of which basic assumption?

A) The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
B) The locus of pathology is not within the person but is a system dysfunction.
C) Circular causality guides behavior.
D) Rules result from the redundancy principle and are critical in defining a family.

Question 35

Which of the following is NOT one of the dimensions of the Circumplex Model?

A) equilibrium
B) cohesion
C) flexibility
D) communication

Question 36

Match: Based on David Kantor and William Lehr's (1975) classic work Inside the Family, match the "four player parts" with their correct definition.
-The mover

A) approves of the mover's actions or the opposer's reaction
B) initiates action
C) witnesses the action of the mover, but is passive about overtly aligning with the moveror the opposer
D) blames the mover
E) disapproves of the mover's action and tries to block it

Question 37

Match: Based on David Kantor and William Lehr's (1975) classic work Inside the Family, match the "four player parts" with their correct definition.
-The opposer

A) approves of the mover's actions or the opposer's reaction
B) initiates action
C) witnesses the action of the mover, but is passive about overtly aligning with the moveror the opposer
D) blames the mover
E) disapproves of the mover's action and tries to block it

Question 38

Match: Based on David Kantor and William Lehr's (1975) classic work Inside the Family, match the "four player parts" with their correct definition.
-The follower

A) approves of the mover's actions or the opposer's reaction
B) initiates action
C) witnesses the action of the mover, but is passive about overtly aligning with the moveror the opposer
D) blames the mover
E) disapproves of the mover's action and tries to block it

Question 39

Match: Based on David Kantor and William Lehr's (1975) classic work Inside the Family, match the "four player parts" with their correct definition.
-The bystander

A) approves of the mover's actions or the opposer's reaction
B) initiates action
C) witnesses the action of the mover, but is passive about overtly aligning with the moveror the opposer
D) blames the mover
E) disapproves of the mover's action and tries to block it

Question 40

Have students identify circular patterns they have in their own families of origin or their families of creation, or even among their friendships. Discuss why the patterns exist and what can be done to change or modify them.

Question 41

Watch the beginning of the show Home Improvement season 7 episode 23. This is the same clip you showed for family development theory. First, talk about how the same clip can be interpreted differently by using the lens of this theory. Then talk about the basic assumptions of the theory and how they are shown in this television series. For example: What are their family rules? How is the idea that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts shown here? What roles have these family members taken on? What type of family is this- open, closed, or random?

Question 42

Have students write down some of their family rules. Then have them indicate if those rules are implicit or explicit. How did they learn about each of the rules? What happens if they break a rule?

Question 43

Write about contexts in which family systems theory is a useful lens within therapeutic contexts. For instance, describe how a family systems perspective would be useful to a school counselor in dealing with a child's acting out behavior or how a family systems perspective would be helpful to a clinician trying to help a client lose weight or deal with the impending death of a loved one.