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Circumplex Model of Marital and Family Systems: An Update
Abstract
This article provides an overview of the Circumplex Model and how it was developed and describes the three major dimensions (cohesion, flexibility, and communication) and how they were used to create the model. There are three major hypotheses and two assessments (FACES IV and the Clinical Rating Scale) used to test the hypotheses. The model is useful for describing couple and family systems and for plotting how they change over time. The model is also used to describe other systems such as parenting and classroom settings. Personal use of the model is described and future directions and challenges for the model presented.
... The model is based on the hypothesis that an adequate balance between difference dimensions within family or relational systems favors theirs functionality (Olson, 1993(Olson, , 2000. According to the model, there are three variables to family functioning: cohesion (defined as the emotional bonding that members have towards one another), flexibility (referring to the ability to change leadership and role relationships within the family), and communication (understood as a facilitating dimension of the other two; Olson et al., 1979Olson et al., , 2019. Understanding the relation between these three dimensions offers insight into changes in family ecosystems over the course of different stages in life (Olson, 1991). ...
... Understanding the relation between these three dimensions offers insight into changes in family ecosystems over the course of different stages in life (Olson, 1991). Thus, the model is considered valid to analyze the changes to relationships caused by the most frequent or commonplace circumstances (for example, engagement, marriage or parenthood), as well as the impact of extraordinary circumstances which may generate family stress (Olson et al., 2019). ...
... FACES was initially developed as a standardized selfreport instrument to analyze two dimensions of the Circumplex Model: cohesion and flexibility (Olson et al., 1979). The scale has been used in many clinical studies and has been adapted and adjusted to create a number of different versions (Olson, 1986;Olson et al., 1980Olson et al., , 1982, culminating in FACES IV (Olson, 2000), which overcomes the limitations of the three earlier versions and offering a more complete analysis of the elements of Circumplex Model (Olson et al., 2019). The psychometric properties of the different FACES scales have been verified through transcultural validations in different countries in Europe (Baiocco et al., 2013;Desautels et al., 2016;Everri et al., 2020;Vegas et al., 2022), Latin America (Arciniegas et al., 2018;Costa et al., 2013;Santos et al., 2017), and the Middle East (Mazaheri et al., 2014;Sarour & El Keshky, 2022;T€ urkdog˘an et al., 2018). ...
Plain language summary
Understanding how families support children with intellectual disabilities: a study using the FACES-20Esp Scale
Families play a crucial role in supporting children with intellectual disabilities, but the challenges they face can vary. This study looked at how 480 families are doing by using the FACES-20Esp scale. We wanted to see how well these families are working together and adapting to the situation. The findings show that most families fall into the mid-range or unbalanced/extreme categories in terms of how they function. While cohesion (working together) scores are generally balanced, adaptability (adjusting to changes) is often unbalanced/extreme. In conclusion, these results highlight the importance of giving families practical strategies to handle the difficulties of raising a child with intellectual disabilities. It also emphasizes the need for families to establish and maintain a balanced way of functioning.
... Systems, which examines the structural dynamics of healthy family functioning from an intercultural perspective, is one of the most important family systems approaches widely used in the world (Olson & Gorall, 2006;Olson, 2011). According to this model, two structural dynamics that affect family functionality are (a) family cohesion and (b) family flexibility (Olson, 2011;Olson, Waldvogel, & Schlieff, 2019). Family cohesion, defined as the emotional bond that family members have towards each other, includes the feeling of belonging, loyalty and closeness between family members (Olson, 2000(Olson, , 2011. ...
... Additionally, the concept of family cohesion focuses on how the family system maintains a balance between opposite extremes such as disengaged or enmeshed. Accordingly, while family structures called enmeshed (overly connected) or disengaged (disconnected) indicate an unhealthy family system, families with balanced cohesion are considered to have healthy functionality (Olson, 2011;Olson et al., 2019). Family flexibility, another important dimension affecting family functionality, defines the nature of the rules, roles, duties and responsibilities in the family system (Olson, 2011;Olson & Gorall, 2006). ...
... While families with the lowest level of flexibility, called rigid, or the highest level of flexibility, called chaotic, are considered unhealthy in terms of family functioning; balanced flexibility indicates healthy family functionality (Olson, 2011;Olson & Gorall, 2006). Family-of-origin functionality defines that the family in which the individual grows up has a balanced cohesion and balanced flexibility, and that unhealthy dimension such as disengagement, enmeshment, rigidity or chaos are at a minimum level (Olson, 2000(Olson, , 2011Olson et al., 2019). 406 Couples from different family characteristics are likely to experience various problems with both their families and their partners' families in the first years when they try to establish a new family system (Bowen, 1978;Gladding, 2015). ...
Bu çalışmanın amacı; kök aile işlevselliği ile romantik ilişki doyumu arasındaki ilişkide benlik ayrımlaşmasının aracılık rolünü bir yapısal eşitlik modeli çerçevesinde incelemektir. Araştırmanın çalışma grubu, evlilik hazırlığı içinde bulunan nişanlı bireylerden ve de evlilik ilişkisinin henüz ilk beş yıllık döneminde bulunan bireylerden oluşturmaktadır. Çalışma kapsamında 532 katılımcıdan Aile Uyum Yeteneğini ve Birliğini Değerlendirme Ölçeği – IV, Benliğin Ayrımlaşması Ölçeği ve İlişkilerde Mutluluk Ölçeği aracılığıyla veri toplanmıştır. Yapılan analizler sonucunda nişanlı ve yeni evli bireylerin kök aile deneyimlerinin mevcut ilişkilerinden aldıkları doyumu öngördüğü, kök aile işlevselliği yüksek olan bireylerin romantik ilişkilerinden aldıkları doyum düzeylerinin de yüksek olduğu görülmüştür. Ayrıca, aile işlevselliğinin yüksek olması bireylerin özerk bir birey olarak yetişmelerini desteklemekte, aileden benliklerini ayrımlaştırmalarını sağlayabilmektedir. Öte yandan, mevcut çalışmada bireylerin benlik ayrımlaşma düzeyleri arttıkça yakın romantik ilişkiler kurma ve sürdürme olasılıklarının ve ilişkilerinden aldıkları doyum düzeyinin artacağı hipotezi desteklememiştir. Kültüre özgü bir bulgu olarak, Türk kültüründe bireyin benlik sınırlarını koruyacak şekilde hareket etmesinin, romantik ilişki doyumunun ve çift uyumunun gelişimindeki beklentilerden biri olarak algılanmadığı anlaşılmaktadır. Sonuçlar ilgili alan yazını dikkate alınarak tartışılmış, bu doğrultuda uygulayıcılara ve araştırmacılara bazı öneriler sunulmuştur.
... A prominent organizing framework for the exploration of family personality, or family functioning as it is called by the authors, is the Circumplex Model of Marital and Family Systems (Olson, Sprenkle, and Russell 1979), which measures the construct through the widely-used Family Adaptability & Cohesion Evaluation Scales (FACES; Olson, Waldvogel, and Schlieff 2019). This circumplex model, now commonly known as the FACES-Circumplex Model, shares some similarities to the original Interpersonal Circumplex (IPC; Leary 1958), which empirically operationalized Sullivan's core inferences into two geometrically oriented meta-concepts used to describe interpersonal disposition at the individual level: agency (power or differentiation from others) and communion (intimacy or union with others). ...
... (1) balanced families (centered in the flexibility and cohesion dimensions), in contrast to unbalanced families (very high or very low scores of either dimension) are most conducive to positive well-being and success; (2) balanced families exhibit more positive communication styles than unbalanced families; and (3) balanced families display a greater capacity to adjust their levels of flexibility and cohesion to adapt to stress and developmental change, compared to unbalanced families. Over 1200 articles using the FACES-Circumplex Model have been published; however, few studies have focused on child development within this framework (Olson 2000;Olson, Waldvogel, and Schlieff 2019). While a limited number of studies have applied the most recent version of FACES (FACES-IV; Olson 2011) to early childhood, children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other neurodevelopmental disabilities have been primary target population (Di Nuovo et al. 2011;Rieger and McGrail 2015;Sekułowicz et al. 2022). ...
... That is, families who reported themselves to be more flexible were also more flexible in neural synchrony levels in their transition in and out of conditions with varying task demands. Maintaining fluidity and an openness to change during decision-making is suggested to support the overall stability and adaptability of the family unit (Olson, Waldvogel, and Schlieff 2019). This finding acts as a "proof-of-principle", establishing that dyadic neural substrates may be associated with self-report questionnaires evaluating dyadic or family-level relationships. ...
Introduction
Early child development occurs within an interactive environment, initially dominated by parents or caregivers, and is heavily influenced by the dynamics of this social context. The current study probed the neurobiology of “family personality”, or family functioning, in the context of parent–child dyadic interaction using a two‐person neuroimaging modality.
Methods
One hundred and five parent–child dyads (child mean age 5 years 4 months) were recruited. Functional near‐infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) hyperscanning was employed to measure neural synchrony while dyads completed a mildly stressful interactive task. Family functioning was measured through the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scale IV (FACES‐IV).
Results
Synchrony during stress was significantly greater than synchrony during both baseline and recovery conditions for all dyads. A significant interaction between neural synchrony in each task condition and familial balanced flexibility was found, such that higher levels of balanced flexibility were associated with greater changes in frontal cortex neural synchrony as dyads progressed through the three task conditions.
Discussion
Parent–child dyads from families who display heightened levels of balanced flexibility are also more flexible in their engagement of neural synchrony when shifting between social conditions. This is one of the first studies to utilize a two‐person imaging modality to explore the links between family functioning and interbrain synchrony between parents and their children.
... Olson and collaborators proposed the Circumplex Model of Family and Couple Systems to assess family functionality based on the dimensions of cohesion and flexibility (Olson, 2011;Olson et al., 2019). Each dimension is conceived as a continuum. ...
... Any extreme of either dimension represents an unbalanced position of the family system, while the centre represents a balanced position ( Figure 1). The model consists of the curvilinear dimensions of family cohesion and flexibility (Olson et al., 2019), as well as a third facilitating dimension: communication. The facilitating role of this third dimension means that communication is conceived as helping business families move from one position to another in the model. ...
... The facilitating role of this third dimension means that communication is conceived as helping business families move from one position to another in the model. (Olson, 2011;Olson et al., 2019). Each dimension is conceived as a con nuum. ...
Establishing a family council can be beneficial for business families. However, determining the optimal circumstances to do so can be challenging. While some experts argue that a family council always provides long-term benefits, recent research on family councils suggests that there are certain prerequisites for successful family council implementation. This paper explores the nature of these prerequisites by examining communication dynamics within business families. Olson’s Circumplex Model is transferred from family therapy to the context of the family council by applying Habermas’s criteria for an ideal speech situation. Within this framework, a communication continuum on which to position business families is developed. This continuum is then applied to three Spanish business families. The findings suggest that a family council is functional only when minimum communication standards are met within the business family. Otherwise, the family council may have a minimal or even a negative impact. Families with an active family council should prioritise its use as a space for dialogue to enhance the business family’s functionality before tackling any other tasks or functions.
... Esses achados evidenciaram o quanto uma boa comunicação tem papel importante para a adaptação (flexibilidade) dos casais diante do contexto de uso do smartphone (Hoffmeister & Scheeren, 2019) e promove melhor qualidade das interações face a face, como conversar mais e dar mais atenção para o parceiro (Frackowiak et al., 2022). Segundo Olson et al. (2019), a comunicação eficaz ajuda os casais a terem melhores níveis de flexibilidade, definida pela quantidade de mudanças nas funções e regras do relacionamento. Neste estudo foi possível observar que os casais veem a comunicação como um aspecto importante da relação conjugal, com resultados em sua maioria positivos quanto às negociações feitas. ...
... Outro indicativo que pode nessa forma de comunicação implícita ser considerado eficaz para os participantes deste estudo é a coesão, descrita por Olson et al. (2019) como o vínculo emocional que os membros do casal têm um com o outro. Embora se pudesse supor que os participantes deste estudo sejam membros de casais com nível muito alto de coesão (emaranhados) e possam não ter preservada sua individualidade, neste estudo o que se evidenciou foi que o compartilhamento das senhas não foi dado pela curiosidade de vigiar o uso do smartphone pelo parceiro, mas por necessidades cotidianas. ...
O objetivo deste estudo foi compreender a percepção de homens e mulheres sobre as reverberações do uso do smartphone na conjugalidade. O método consistiu em um estudo de casos múltiplos realizado com nove participantes, seis mulheres e três homens, casados ou em união estável. Foi realizada uma análise temática das entrevistas transcritas. Os resultados apontaram que os casais valorizam a comunicação com acordos explícitos e implícitos quanto ao uso do smartphone, que foi considerado motivo de conflitos por uso excessivo e pelas interrupções da interação face a face. Ademais, o aparelho foi visto como um elemento de triangulação para o casal na medida em que é utilizado como forma de adaptação ao estresse ou a pressões do contexto conjugal.
... Minuchin, , 2012, both connectedness and individuality are necessary in healthy relationships; thus, there should be autonomy for each individual (e.g., through boundary setting; respecting the other to make their own decisions) but also dependency and trust (Snir & Wiseman, 2013). Relatedly, the circumplex model of marital and family systems (Olson et al., 2019) suggests that a family achieving cohesion (e.g., emotional bonding) depends, in part, on finding a balance between separateness and togetherness. Individuation also has close ties to attachment theory (Bowlby, 1988), which suggests that couples develop a secure base (i.e., mutual sense of safety and security) from which each partner can venture out and pursue individual goals, knowing they can return for comfort. ...
... Revisiting early work by Kelman (1973) and integrating recent work on individuation in couples with classic theorizing around dehumanization (Haslam, 2006), we propose that deindividuating a partner is a form of dehumanization that involves actively stripping away their individual identity and excluding them from community including the circle of mutual care and concern. Such exclusions could be particularly problematic in couples, given the centrality of emotional attachment and mutual bonding in these relationships (Bowlby, 1988;Olson et al., 2019). What might dehumanizing deindividuation in couples look like? ...
Emerging research indicates that dehumanization may occur in couples with serious consequences; however, this research is in its infancy, and there is a need to integrate dehumanization perspectives with key theories of intimate relationships to best understand this phenomenon. Drawing on work on individuation in couples, we present an integrated framework of dehumanizing deindividuation that is characterized by derogation (viewing a partner with contempt), disregard (ignoring or overlooking a partner), and denial of autonomy (restricting a partner’s self-determination). We present data from two samples highlighting the reliability and validity of a new measure, the Dehumanizing Deindividuation in Couples (DDC) scale, which was internally consistent and had excellent construct replicability. Enacted and received versions of the scale were highly correlated, suggesting that dehumanizing deindividuation may be reciprocal in nature. The DDC scale converged with other couple dehumanization and individuation measures but was distinct and demonstrated incremental utility in explaining key relational outcomes. The DDC also demonstrated excellent convergent validity with other measures of intimate relationship functioning (i.e., emotional intimacy, support, sexual quality, affective communication, problem solving) and uniquely predicted key relational outcomes (i.e., global satisfaction and intimate partner violence). Results also suggest that the active process of deindividuating one’s partner (e.g., acting superior to partner, ignoring partner, nagging partner) poses unique and significant risk for relationship discord and violence beyond a general lack of individuation (e.g., not praising partner’s strengths or asking for their opinions). The DDC could prove a valuable tool for future research on dehumanizing deindividuation in couples.
... We conceptualize family affective environment as the overall patterns of interactions between members, as governed by the roles and rules of the family, and specifically examine cohesion and flexibility as elements of this environment. Cohesion is the emotional bonding between family members, and this is most balanced when there is enough closeness to maintain connection and enough separateness for members to maintain individuality (Olson et al., 2019). Flexibility refers to patterns of adaptability within the family, and this is most balanced when there is enough stability to create safety and consistency, but also enough change to adjust to new situations. ...
... Flexibility refers to patterns of adaptability within the family, and this is most balanced when there is enough stability to create safety and consistency, but also enough change to adjust to new situations. Both cohesion and flexibility are facilitated by the interpersonal communication processes of the family (Olson et al., 2019). More balanced family cohesion and flexibility create a positive developmental context for individual family members and are linked to more favorable outcomes; imbalance in either of the constructs is linked to disadvantageous outcomes (Barnett & Hunter, 2012;O'Neal et al., 2016;Oshri et al., 2015;Tramonti et al., 2019). ...
Adolescents in military families may be at elevated risk for poor mental health outcomes given their developmental stage and exposure to military life stressors. Using Structural Family Theory and a family resilience lens, we examine how the family affective environment created by the roles and rules of families manifests as balanced family cohesion and balanced family flexibility, and how this family environment is related to mental health outcomes for adolescents. Furthermore, the frequency with which adolescents disclose negative emotions to their family members (including fathers, mothers, and siblings) was posited to link family environment elements and adolescent mental health. We used structural equation modeling with 201 military families that featured a Service member father, civilian mother, and adolescent age 11–18 who had at least one sibling. Across models, balanced family cohesion was directly related to adolescent mental health. Emotional disclosure to fathers and siblings was associated with better adolescent mental health. The role of emotional disclosure as a link between family affective environment and adolescent mental health depended on the family member being disclosed to and primarily emerged among fathers. Specifically, balanced family flexibility was indirectly linked to adolescent mental health via emotional disclosure to fathers. These models fit similarly among adolescent boys and girls. Potential points of intervention to support the mental health of adolescents in military families are discussed, including bolstering balanced family cohesion within the family system and addressing barriers and needed skills to encourage adolescent emotional disclosure.
... The family system's capacity for balancing stability and change is the subject of flexibility. Adequate communication encourages flexibility and family cohesion (Olson et al., 2019). ...
The aim of the study was to examine the relationship between family functioning, resilience, and depression among adolescents from single-parent families. In this study, convenient sampling technique was used. Adolescents from single-parent households comprised the participants; their ages ranged from 12 to 19. Using a series of questionnaires, the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale III Olson et al. (1985), The Resilience Scale Wagnild and Young (1993), and the Beck Depression Inventory-II Aaron T. Beck (1961), data was gathered from schools and institutions in Jhelum, Lahore, and Islamabad. The study employed convenient sampling with a sample size of 280 adolescents. Results were calculated through (SPSS-25). Correlation analysis showed the negative but significant correlation among family functioning and depression (r = -.79**, p < 0.01). The results exposed that family functioning comes out as a significant negative predictor of depression among adolescents (R² = .63, F = 477.43, **p < 0.01). Further analysis showed a difference due to residential areas adolescents from Islamabad scored high in resilience (M=139.64) compared to Lahore and Jhelum participants. At depression, adolescents from Jhelum scored high (M=32.58). Family functioning was better in Lahore adolescents (M=42.46) compared to other areas. The mediating role of resilience in the relationship between family functioning and depression was also analyzed result showed that resilience plays no significant role as a mediator. This suggests that in order to decrease their vulnerability toward depression, despite having to live in an unstable home permanently, adolescents from single-parent households should be helped to grow and strengthen their resilience.
... Family functioning refers to the social and structural attributes within family systems (Lewandowski et al., 2010), primarily manifested as the interaction patterns and relationship quality among family members (Olson et al., 2019). The cognitive enrichment hypothesis (Hertzog et al., 2008) suggests that successful cognitive aging can be fostered through engagement in intellectually, socially, and physically stimulating activities. ...
This study examined the associations between childhood threats (parental abuse and bullying victimization) and cognitive difficulties in mid and later life. Data were extracted from the 2022 Panel Study on Active Ageing and Society in Hong Kong (N = 5,007). Mediation analyses were performed using the PROCESS macro, both for the entire sample and gender-stratified models. Findings revealed that frequent parental abuse and bullying victimization during childhood were associated with increased cognitive difficulties in mid and later life. Contemporary family functioning mediated these relationships. Gender differences were observed in the mediating role of family functioning, with its significance limited to older women.
... Parents tend to have a lesser influence than peers (Martin-Blesa et al., 2024;Veiga et al., 2023;Villarejo et al., 2024), while demands and obligations are greater (e.g., in high school), especially in middle and late adolescence, and sometimes adolescents might report certain self-concept and mental health problems (Fall & Roberts, 2012;Young et al., 2019;Zapf et al., 2024). Family processes, particularly parent-child communication and family functioning can either facilitate or undermine the child's development (Cummings et al., 2000;Garcia et al., 2019;Olson et al., 2019). ...
This study aims to empirically test whether family has a unique significance for the self that cannot be captured by the social self alone. Specifically, it examines whether family self-concept, compared to social self-concept, is more closely related to family-specific indicators (i.e., parent-child communication and family functioning) as well as to indicators of emotional maladjustment like mental health deterioration (i.e., psychological distress and depressive symptoms). The sample comprised 4,953 Mexican adolescents, including 2,551 men (51.5%) and 2,402 women, aged 14-17 years (M = 15.60, SD = 0.92). Confirmatory factor analysis was applied to evaluate the proposed big five-dimensional self-concept model. Cohen's d confidence intervals, derived from the shared variance of Pearson's r correlations, were analyzed to relate self-concept dimensions to parent-child communication, family functioning, and mental health deterioration. Results from factorial confirmatory analysis showed that the five-dimensional oblique model (i.e., academic, social, emotional, physical, and family, as different from social) provided a better fit than competing unidimensional and orthogonal models. Correlation analyses showed that family self-concept was significantly associated with both parent-child communication and family functioning, as well as with psychological distress (d = À1.10, confidence interval [CI] À1.21 to À1.02) and depressive symptoms (d = À1.24, CI À1.31 to À1.22). These findings add evidence that family is not accurately represented within the social self-concept. Furthermore, perceiving oneself as unloved and undervalued at home (i.e., low family self-concept) is strongly associated not only with dysfunctional family processes but also with mental health deterioration.
... Using objective ratings and interviewbased assessments may yield more robust stress measurements (Monroe 2008). Second, the FACES-III, while used in this study, has known limitations at the extremes (Olson, Waldvogel, and Schlieff 2019). Third, this study did not assess family environment post-treatment, which varies during the post-treatment period (Ryan et al. 2013) and likely influenced the likelihood of arrest. ...
Multisystemic Therapy (MST) is an evidence- and family-based treatment for youth with serious aggressive and delinquent behavior. Despite randomized controlled trials demonstrating short- and long-term effectiveness of MST, arrest is still a concern for many youths who complete treatment. Prior studies examined risk factors for arrest after MST treatment but accounted for risk at pre-treatment rather than over the course of treatment and failed to consider the combined impact of risk and protective factors by the end of treatment on long-term outcomes. Models of resilience suggest that when faced with cumulative stress, the effects of family could serve as a protective factor that promotes either stabilizing, enhancing, or reactive effects. As such, the current study examined family environment (i.e., cohesion and flexibility) at the end of treatment as a moderator of relations between cumulative stress by the end of treatment and the likelihood of arrest at follow-up. Results demonstrated that high family cohesion and flexibility served as protective factors by decreasing the likelihood of arrest when cumulative stress was low; however, these effects faded as cumulative stress increased. These results suggest the protective effects of known targets of MST (i.e., family cohesion and flexibility) do not buffer against post-treatment arrest for all youth in treatment. Treatment targeting family cohesion and flexibility is less likely to be effective in preventing arrest for youth that continue accumulating stressful life events during treatment. Results of this study suggest that MST treatment should be further tailored to account for these families.
... Family functioning pertains to the overall social and structural characteristics of the family environment, which encompass the dynamics and connections within the family, focusing on elements such as conflict and cohesion, adaptability, organisation and the quality of communication (Lewandowski et al. 2010). Various models have been developed to explain the complex interactions necessary for effective functioning within families in general, such as The McMaster Model of Family Functioning (Epstein, Bishop, and Levin 1980) and The Circumplex Model of Family Functioning (Olson, Waldvogel, and Schlieff 2019). ...
Aims
Research on family functioning in psychosis has typically focused on specific family‐related factors and their impact on symptomatology, finding strong associations between high expressed emotion and poor outcomes, especially in those with long‐term illness. The objective of this review is to examine the impact of a broad range of family‐related factors and their relationship with clinical, social, occupational and relational outcomes in first‐episode psychosis (FEP).
Method
A systematic search of databases PsycInfo, Pubmed, Embase and CINHAL between 1990 and August 2023 was completed. In total, 1408 articles were screened, and study quality was assessed using the JBI critical appraisal checklists for analytical cross‐sectional studies and cohort studies. A narrative synthesis approach was used to analyse the data.
Results
Of the 1408 identified articles, 80 full‐text articles were screened. Fifteen studies were included for data extraction. The objectives and scope of the selected studies varied considerably. Studies consisted of cross‐sectional and prospective cohort designs. Participants consisted of FEP patients and family members, with the patient age range varying from 15.9 to 30.8 (MD = 24.5). Significant associations were identified between family factors (high EE, family environment and carer burden) and symptom and social outcomes.
Discussion
While findings emphasised the significant impact of family factors on symptomatic and social outcomes, the literature had significant limitations due to the absence of underlying theoretical models and understanding of the dynamics of distress in families within FEP. Future research should seek to develop a model accounting for such processes.
... Olson and Wilson's 14-item family satisfaction measure was the foundation for the 10-item version. The 14-item original scale, as well as the purpose of the modified 10-item scale, was to gauge satisfaction with several family functioning factors, including communication, flexibility, and closeness (Olson, D. H. et al., 2019). ...
Family satisfaction plays a pivotal role in individual well-being and the overall dynamics of Filipino families. Despite its significance, limited empirical studies have explored the direct relationship between adult attachment styles and family satisfaction, particularly in collectivist cultures like the Philippines. This study addressed this gap by investigating the connection between adult attachment styles and family satisfaction among young adults in the National Capital Region. Using Attachment Theory and Family Systems Theory as frameworks, a quantitative correlational research design was employed. Data were collected from 202 participants through the Revised Adult Attachment Scale and the Family Satisfaction Scale. Findings revealed that 36.1% of participants experienced very low family satisfaction, with Fearful Avoidant attachment being the most prevalent style (31.2%). Secure attachment correlated with slightly higher family satisfaction scores (M=34.8, SD=7.91) compared to individuals with dismissive-avoidant (M=30.6, SD=9.15), fearful-avoidant (M=30.7, SD=9.91), and preoccupied (M=31.9, SD=9.92) attachment styles. Nevertheless, statistical analyses (Kruskal-Wallis x=5.75, p=0.314; Mann-Whitney U=3204, p=0.483) indicated no notable differences in family satisfaction based on attachment styles, gender, or parental marital status. These results underscore the necessity for culturally sensitive strategies to foster family cohesion, improve communication, and address attachment insecurities. Such efforts can enhance the emotional health and relational dynamics of Filipino families.
... From there, core arguments in support of the Paradigmatic Framework as a foundational perspective seem to rest on the potential for the Paradigmatic Framework to be useful, with limited evidence regarding how it demonstrably is useful in an empirical sense. This emphasis on the potential of the Paradigmatic Framework to be useful stands out even more given that the Paradigmatic Framework is contrasted explicitly with another theory, the Circumplex Model (Olson et al., 2019), which has accumulated significant evidence of utility as a result of hundreds of empirical investigations over time-a point Constantine (2024) readily highlights. ...
This article is a commentary on the recently published theoretical article by Constantine (2024) on the Paradigmatic Framework and its application to family science.
... These findings are supported by Dabaghi et al. (2018) in which poor family functioning may lead to higher levels of aggressive behavior. Though higher levels of behavior control may lower physical aggression, the type of control must be considered properly, as Malonda et al. (2019) indicated that highly strict parenting-styles may further increase aggression levels among adolescent, while rejecting parenting-styles (uncaring) may also result in rebellion (Olson et al., 2019). The results indicate that problematic family functioning is positively correlated with verbal aggression. ...
The study aims to determine if family functioning is significantly correlated to prosocial behavior and aggression among junior high school students. A total of 206 respondents across two schools from the second district of Valenzuela, Metro Manila, served as the respondents and were selected through a random sampling technique. Three instruments were used: (a) the Family Assessment Device (FAD) which measures the healthiness of family functioning across six dimensions and one general functioning dimension, (b) the Prosocial Behavior Scale which assesses prosocial behavior through trust, and altruism, and agreeableness, and (c) the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire which measures aggression through as a trait through four subtraits. The findings revealed that in terms of the dimensions of family functioning, two are within healthy levels, specifically, problem-solving, and roles, while the remaining dimensions of communication, affective responsiveness, affective involvement, behavior control, and general functioning are within unhealthy levels. Prosocial behavior, on the other hand, was found to be high among the respondents. And lastly, all subtraits of aggression were moderate. The dimensions of family functioning were revealed to have a significant negative relationship with prosocial behavior. This means that as problematic family functioning increases, prosocial behavior decreases. In terms of family functioning and aggression, all subtraits of aggression were found to have a significant positive relationship with dimensions of family functioning. This means that as problematic family functioning increases, aggression also increases. Lastly, in terms of prosocial behavior and aggression, no significant relationship was established. Based on the findings, different activities were proposed to provide enhancements to guidance program within the institutions.
... Pola keberf ungsian keluarga, dimensi dari f ungsi keluarga diref leksikan dalam gaya pengasuhan dan terhubung dengan dimensi dari gaya pengasuhan. Pada model Circuplex (Olson et al., 2000) menunjukkan dimensi yang penting dari keberf ungsian keluarga adalah kohesi, adaptabilitas, dan f leksibilitas dalam keluarga. Sementara itu, Schaef er (1959) mendef inisikan dimensi gaya pengasuhan sebagai dimensi af ektif dan kontrol . ...
The family is the most miniature society system bound to change. Changes in the family structure, such as the loss of a family member, can never be predicted. In adolescents, family is the primary source of support in fulfilling developmental tasks and ensuring their well-being. Adolescents who experience changes in family structure, especially adolescents whose parents have died, become vulnerable to various kinds of problems. In this study, an analysis was carried out regarding how adolescents interpret the function of their family after the parental loss. This research was conducted using a qualitative method through a phenomenological approach. Data was collected through image assessment and semi-structured interviews, which were analyzed using interpinterpretive phenomenological analysis techniques. The data processing results show three superordinate themes from the subject's meaning related to her family function, which include family identity, parenting style, and "I'm lonely." Changes in family structure affect how caregivers apply the roles of each family member and parenting style. A significant difference from how her family previously functioned made adjusting difficult for the subject, so she faced many problems. Experiencing parental loss with no support from family members makes her feel lonely.
... Cohesión, definida como la conexión emocional; flexibilidad, que busca el equilibrio entre los cambios y lo estable; por último, comunicación, que tiene como función servir de mediador en las dos dimensiones anteriores, cohesión y flexibilidad. Se considera como hipótesis que las parejas y familias más balanceadas funcionarán mejor que las parejas y familias no balanceadas (Olson, 2000;Olson et al., 2019). Sin embargo, la evolución del mencionado modelo teórico dio paso a la consolidación de la unidimensionalidad, replicándolo correctamente en otros contextos; modelo por el cual se orienta la presente investigación (Olson et al., 2006). ...
Objetivo. Conocer el nivel de satisfacción familiar de los adolescentes de Lima durante la pandemia de la COVID-19 de acuerdo con variables sociodemográfcas como sexo, edad y grado escolar. Métodos. Estudio de enfoque cuantitativo, descriptivo, con diseño no experimental. La muestra fue de 302 estudiantes entre 14 y 17 años pertenecientes a 4° y 5° de secundaria. La selección de la muestra fue mediante el muestreo probabilístico aleatorio simple. Para recolectar la información se aplicó la escala de satisfacción familiar. Resultados. Los adolescentes que participaron tenían una edad promedio de 15 años, con un 61 % de predominio femenino y un 57 % perteneciente al 4° grado de secundaria. Los resultados demostraron que el nivel de satisfacción familiar medio es el que prevaleció, con el 35 %. De acuerdo con el sexo, el 36 % del género masculino prevalece con un nivel alto de satisfacción familiar, mientras que, en el género femenino, el 38 % tuvo un mayor porcentaje con el nivel medio de satisfacción familiar. Con respecto a la edad, los adolescentes de 16 tuvieron más predominancia con el nivel bajo y, por otro lado, sobre el grado de estudio hay un mayor número en 4° grado con el nivel medio (36 %), y en el 5° grado con el nivel bajo (37 %). Conclusiones. Seobserva que el 35,4 % de los participantes cuenta con un nivel medio de satisfacción familiar, mientras que la minoría, el 30,8 %, tuvo un nivel de satisfacción familiar alto.
... Therefore, this study aimed to validate the German translation of the PACS, an internationally established questionnaire for the assessment of dyadic communication between parents and their children in different populations. by the Family Adaptation and Cohesion Evaluation Scale (FACES) [5,36]. Since then, it has been used independently in more than 80 studies [57]. ...
The quality of dyadic Parent–Child Communication (PCC) between parents and their adolescent children may be important for the adolescent’s general development and mental health during adolescence. Since German instruments for measuring PCC are still lacking, this study aimed to validate the German translation of the Parent-Adolescent Communication Scale (PACS), an internationally established self-report questionnaire. To examine the theoretical-based two-factor model of the PACS in a German population sample of 1044 parent-adolescent dyads, confirmatory factor analyses were used. Moreover, the cross-group measurement invariance of the instrument was assessed. Two clinical samples were used to assess discriminative validity. Bland–Altman plots were used to asses parent-adolescent agreement. The two-factor structure of the PACS was supported. Scalar measurement invariance was established for parent age groups and adolescent gender but not for adolescent age groups and parent gender. Convergent and divergent validity were established. Discriminative validity was only established for the adolescent version in the adolescent psychiatry sample. Test–retest reliability was satisfactory, and rater agreement was medium. The German translation of the PACS is a reliable and valid measurement to assess parent-adolescent communication quality per self-report. Research directions include the concordance discrepancy in clinical samples and further investigation of changes in parents’ and adolescents’ perspectives on communication problems and open communication. Registration: NCT05332236 (clinicaltrials.gov), first registered 2022-04-11.
... Previous studies have emphasized that marriage is often associated with higher physical health, subjective and psychological well-being, and financial stability (Carlson, 2012;Diener et al., 1999;Grover & Helliwell, 2017;Purol et al., 2020;Stanley et al., 2012). However, explaining individuals' well-being solely based on the marriage factor would be insufficient (Grover & Helliwell, 2017;Olson et al., 2019). Each married individual's experience and how they are affected by this experience can vary. ...
The well-being of married individuals is shaped by various psychological factors, among which psychological vulnerability, hopelessness, and psychological distress play critical roles. This study investigates how psychological vulnerability impacts well-being through the mediating effects of hopelessness and psychological distress. The sample comprised 522 married individuals aged 23 to 67 (M = 36.70, SD = 10.77). Data were collected using the Psychological Vulnerability Scale, Patient Health Questionnaire-4, Beck Hopelessness Scale, and Mental Health Continuum Short Form. Pearson Correlation analysis was employed to examine the relationships between variables, and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to test the mediating roles. The significance of direct and indirect relationships was assessed using the bootstrap method. The analysis revealed significant correlations among the variables. SEM results indicated that psychological vulnerability positively and significantly predicted hopelessness and psychological distress, while hopelessness and psychological distress negatively predicted well-being. Additionally, the serial mediation of hopelessness and psychological distress in the relationship between psychological vulnerability and well-being was found to be significant. These findings suggest that psychological vulnerability can adversely affect the well-being of married individuals through the serial mediation of hopelessness and psychological distress. This study may contribute valuable insights to the literature and offers practical implications for couple and family counseling.
... Together with clinical interviews, clinical observations, and structured interviews (e.g., the structured Interview [Watzlawick, 1966] or the marriage checkup [Cordova et al., 2014]), and self-report questionnaires (e.g., the family adaptability and cohesion evaluation scale [Olson et al., 2019] or the FAD; ), many ways can be used to assess couples and families. However, if these tools of assessment are not applied frequently, as is the case with ROM, how a family system changes across time cannot be evaluated. ...
This process–outcome study was conducted within a naturalistic setting at the Family Unit, Modum Bad, Norway. The aim of the study was fourfold: 1) To evaluate the Family Unit’s treatment program by assessing the participants’ degree of mental and relational distress from intake to discharge and changes in distress taking place during treatment. 2) To investigate the predictive association of therapists’ reports of patients’ histories of childhood trauma on weekly patient-reported outcome.
3) To retrospectively explore a subsample of those patients with histories of childhood trauma about their experiences of receiving treatment at the Family Unit.
4) Apply dyadic analyses (Kenny et al., 2020) as a method of analyses to investigate actor–partner effects related to a) how the actor’s (i.e., the individual) alliance to the therapist predicts his or her relationship satisfaction, b) how the actor’s alliance to the therapist predicts his or her partner’s relationship satisfaction, c) how the actor’s relationship satisfaction predicts his or her alliance to the therapist, and d) how the actor’s relationship satisfaction predicts his or her partner’s alliance to the therapist.
In conclusion, our study has contributed to the literature by identifying and exploring how couples with histories of trauma experience relational challenges (i.e., split alliances) in residential therapy and how such challenges are related to poorer outcomes. Furthermore, the application of dyadic analyses as conceptualized within the actor–partner interdependence model presented novel results pertaining to working alliances. Our findings strengthened our conviction that mixed method research designs with the application of dyadic analysis are necessary when studying complex relational phenomena.
... Cohesion involves maintaining robust emotional connections within the family unit, while flexibility concerns the balance between stability and adaptability within the system. Effective communication plays a crucial role in fostering family cohesion and flexibility [4]. ...
Background: In today's busy world, familial neglect due to hectic schedules can lead to alienation among family members, affecting behaviour and mental health. Parents' lack of time for children can result in minimal interaction, triggering parental fear, guilt, and a breakdown in trust, often culminating in family pathology and maladaptive behaviour within interactions. Prolonged family pathology can exacerbate depression among members, contributing to rising depression rates and a noticeable absence of familial bonds. Methods: This study utilized a cross-sectional correlational research design and Random sampling to investigate the link between family pathology and depression proneness among married parents aged 35 to 54 in urban Jaipur, India, belonging to middle and high socio-economic status. Sixty participants (30 males, 30 females) were sampled and assessed using the Family Pathology Scale (FPS) by Dr. Vimala Veeraraghavan and Dr. Archana Dogra (2000), alongside the Depression Proneness Scale (DPS) by Dr. Niranjan Prasad Yadav. Statistical analysis included Pearson product-moment correlation to analyse the relationship between family pathology and depression, and a t-test to examine gender differences in depression proneness. Result: Results indicated a moderate positive correlation (R = 0.5246) between family pathology and depression, suggesting that families with higher levels of pathology are more likely to experience depression. However, the t-test value of -0.5993 with 58 degrees of freedom was not significant at the 0.05 level, indicating no gender discrepancy in depression proneness. Conclusion: This study concludes that early assessment of family pathology can reduce the risk of depression by employing interventions such as family therapy, healthy communication, emotional support, stress management, and seeking professional help from mental health professionals. While there is a positive correlation between family pathology and depression proneness, but there is no gender discrepancy in an individual's susceptibility to depression.
... Family system theory (Turnbull et al., 2010) and the circumplex model (Olson et al., 2019) guided the template of potential factors that may influence the role of extended family members. ...
Extended family members play an important role in meeting the care needs of autistic individuals, yet family support policies and practices often overlook this role. We aimed to synthesise qualitative research on the role played by extended family members in the lives of autistic individuals and their parents and identify cultural patterns. We searched eight databases and selected relevant studies through a two-stage screening process. We synthesised the results and discussions described in the selected studies using template analysis. The review included 37 studies (35 qualitative; 2 mixed methods), reporting on 964 parents and 2123 grandparents. Three main themes were developed: (1) types of support from extended family members, including emotional, financial, instrumental, and informational support; (2) unhelpful or lack of support from extended family members, including misunderstanding about autism, absence of support with caregiving, and negative attitudes and discriminatory behaviours against autistic individuals as well as their parents; (3) factors influencing the role of extended family members, including individuals, family unit, family interaction characteristics, a journey towards acceptance and cultural influences. Novel findings on the influence of culture suggested family-oriented cultures fostered kinship support, yet the emphasis on family reputation might hinder the acceptance of autism by family members. Based on a family systems approach, we recommend priorities for intervention development and clinical practice to support the effective involvement of extended family members.
... Marriage is an intimate relationship between a man and a woman. The marital relationship can be peaceful and as well be hostile depending on the ways and manners the husband and wife want it to be (Olson et al., 2019, Wang et.al., 2021. Peaceful marital relationships enjoy more happiness, effective therapy and understanding one another patterns which enable them to be proactive in conflict management (Beasley 2019; Greenman & Johnson 2022). ...
This study investigates emotional-focused therapy as a determinant of marital satisfaction among postgraduate students at Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin-Nigeria. A descriptive research design of correlation type was used. The study uses two purposes, two research questions and two research hypotheses. The population of the study was 150 postgraduate students of Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin. 100 postgraduate student was sampled from three Faculties (Education, Humanity and Social Sciences) from Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin-Nigeria. The first stage involved the use of a purposive sampling technique to select the two Departments; Educational Management and Counselling, Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin-Nigeria. The second stage involved the use of a simple random sampling technique to select 25 postgraduate students from each Department. Data collected were analyzed using Pearson's Product Moment Correlation at 0.05 level of significance. The result shows that emotional-focused therapy has a positive relationship with marital satisfaction among postgraduate students at Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin-Nigeria (r.cal. = 0.23, < p0.05). The study found that emotional regulation has a positive relationship with marital satisfaction among postgraduate students at Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin-Nigeria (r.cal. = 0.20, < p0.05). Based on the results, recommendations were made among others that school counsellors should employ the use of emotional-focused counselling therapy to help improve therapy and regulate the negative emotions of married postgraduate students.
It has been demonstrated that there is a link between parental conflict and aggressive behavior. However, whether there exists a reciprocal longitudinal relation between them needs to be examined. In this longitudinal study, we tested the reciprocal impacts of parental conflict and aggressive behavior, considering the role of poor family functioning in these two aspect. Three measurements were conducted on 540 adolescents ( M age = 12.57, SD = 0.68) in China, with a 6‐month interval for each measurement. The first measurement was conducted in September 2022, the second in March 2023, and the third in September 2023. Adolescents' perception of the interparental conflict scale, family assessment device functioning scale, and direct and indirect aggression scale were used. Parental conflict at Waves 1 and 2 positively predicted poor family functioning and aggressive behavior at Waves 2 and 3, respectively. Poor family functioning at Waves 1 and 2 positively predicted aggressive behavior at Waves 2 and 3, while aggressive behavior at Waves 1 and 2 positively predicted poor family functioning at Waves 2 and 3. These results indicated the reciprocal relationship between poor family functioning and aggressive behavior. Additionally, the mediation analysis revealed that poor family functioning at Wave 2 serves as a mediator in the unidirectional association between parental conflict at Wave 1 and aggressive behavior at Wave 3. These findings indicated that poor family functioning partially accounts for the unidirectional predictive relationship between parental conflict and aggressive behavior over time. Consequently, the results provide valuable insights for reducing aggressive behavior.
One often overlooked challenge for families migrating to the United States is the pervasive impact of heritage language loss among immigrant children and how this loss affects family functioning and youth psychosocial development. This challenge becomes even more problematic when considering that immigrant parents often make only modest gains in their English language abilities resulting in the erosion of a common shared language with which parents and children can communicate. The dyadic process of child heritage language loss and parental failure to make significant advances in English language skills has been called, “Shared Language Erosion” (SLE). To the extent SLE leaves parents and their children proficient in different languages, it poses a threat to their ability to form the meaningful relationships necessary for healthy family functioning and child development. To better understand SLE and its effect on immigrant families, this study reports on 24 Hispanic immigrant mother-child dyads’ lived experiences with SLE through in-depth interviews. Findings indicate that: (1) SLE is an often-unnoticed characteristic of family communication, even among dyads experiencing severe SLE, (2) mother-child dyads with SLE communicate in different languages to each other but utilize tactics to overcome communication difficulties, including the use of other family members to translate between dyads, and (3) SLE can negatively impact mother-child communication.
Background/Objectives: The presence of a child with special educational needs (SENs) necessitates that both the child and their family engage in adaptive processes and develop resilience in response to the developmental challenges that arise following an SENs diagnosis. Furthermore, it is critical to examine the impact of such a diagnosis on parental marital cohesion. Despite the recognized importance of this issue, the effects of SENs diagnoses on marital cohesion and flexibility, and the perceived stress experienced by parents, remain underexplored in the extant literature. Methods: Forty-seven participants (23 parents of children diagnosed with SENs and 24 parents of typically developing children, all aged between 32 and 60 years) completed this study. The instruments used were the Family Cohesion and Flexibility Evaluation Scale (couple version) and the Perceived Stress Scale. Results: No direct relationship was found between the SENs diagnosis and marital cohesion or flexibility. Furthermore, the perceived stress did not mediate the association between these variables. Nonetheless, both groups exhibited high levels of perceived stress. Conclusion: These results underscore the necessity for further investigation into the role of emotional support and coping strategies in alleviating the perceived stress among parents and caregivers of children with SENs. A deeper understanding of these factors is essential for the development of interventions aimed at promoting parental well-being and enhancing the quality of caregiving.
Family has a major impact on adolescents’ mental health, influencing their emotional and behavioral well-being. This study aims to explore differences in family functioning between community and clinical adolescents and to investigate their perceptions. A mixed-methods approach was used, involving 80 adolescents with mental disorders and 612 non-clinical adolescents (53% girls, Mage = 14.86 years). The Youth Self Report (YSR) and the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale (FACES IV) were administered. Ten participants from the community group and ten participants from clinical group were interviewed. Significant differences between the groups were found in all dimensions of YSR ( p < 0.001 ), as well as in cohesion ( p < 0.001 ), flexibility ( p < 0.001 ), disengaged ( p < 0.001 ), chaotic ( p < 0.05 ), communication ( p < 0.001 ), and satisfaction ( p < 0.001 ). Family functioning was found to be a strong component in differentiating clinical and non-clinical adolescents ( χ ² (8) = 60.38, p < .05) ; however, the only significant predictor was family satisfaction ( β = −.09*** ). Consistent with quantitative findings, responsiveness and supervision emerged as the most common themes in interviews with non-clinical adolescents, while conflicts and authoritarian control were prevalent among clinical adolescents. These findings highlight the importance of fostering positive family dynamics to support adolescent mental health, suggesting directions for future interventions and research.
Literature has consistently linked family elements as risk and/or protective factors in adolescence. Consequently, numerous family‐focused prevention programs have been developed. In the context of selective and indicated prevention, the most structured actions take place within the municipal services. However, studies demonstrating the effectiveness of these interventions are scarce. Our aim was to explore the effectiveness of the Brief Intervention Program for addiction prevention in the family context (IBAF) to improve family protective dynamics. We used a quasi‐experimental pretest‐posttest design. The final sample consisted of 136 cases and 191 family members (64.9% women and 35.1% men). The dimensions of family functioning were measured with the self‐reported Madrid Family Functioning scale. Results indicated a statistically significant increase post‐intervention in family climate, family consensus, setting of rules and boundaries, coping patterns, and improvement in stress/anxiety. There were no significant differences based on the sex of the family members. The IBAF program shows promise in addressing the demand for structured interventions in family indicated prevention. Future research could build on these preliminary findings by testing the efficacy of the intervention using rigorous methodologies.
The Internet has become a significant component of daily life, exerting a considerable influence on family dynamics and adolescents’ adaptation. Predictive factors and mechanisms underlying problematic internet use among adolescents still require further in-depth research. Consequently, the current study aims to investigate the correlation between parental phubbing and problematic internet use in adolescents, while also exploring the potential roles of parent-child relationship and adolescent autonomy in it. A total of 539 Chinese adolescents (M = 13.38, SD = 0.98) were recruited to complete a comprehensive set of questionnaires. The results revealed a significant positive correlation between parental phubbing and problematic internet use among adolescents. Moreover, the mediating effects of the parent-child relationship and adolescent autonomy were statistically significant, with two distinct paths identified: a chain mediating effect and a simple mediating effect of the parent-child relationship. These findings substantiate a plausible mechanistic model that underlies problematic internet use among adolescents, thereby affirming the applicability of the techno-microsystem theory and the context-process-outcome model in theoretically explaining the intergenerational transmission of problematic media use. Additionally, research has found that Chinese fathers exhibit significantly higher levels of phubbing compared to mothers, but the mechanisms through which both parents influence adolescent internet usage issues remain the same. Based on the findings, practical implications are proposed in the field of prevention and intervention.
This study aims to explore the association between parents’ perception of family functioning and children’s difficulties and prosocial behaviour, and to test the mediating role of coparenting in this relationship. Participants were 324 Portuguese parents of children aged 3–9 years old. Results were calculated through the estimation of OLS regression-based models, controlling for respondent (child’s mother or father) and for child’s gender and age. Results showed that poor family functioning and more conflict in coparenting related to more difficulties and less prosocial behaviour in children. The associations between perceived family functioning and children’s difficulties and prosocial behaviour were mediated by coparenting. First, more family problems enhance children's difficulties indirectly through the increase of parenting conflict and the decrease of cooperation. Second, a poorer family functioning indirectly decreases the frequency of children’s prosocial behaviour through the increase of coparenting conflict. Practical implications for intervention with families with children are presented.
The association between partner congruence and maternal mental health manifests intricate cultural variations. This study aimed to explore how the perceived psychological state of partners affects perinatal mental health among Chinese women and examine the mediating roles of couple communication and perceived social support. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 1,654 pregnant women (mean age: 29.7 years; gestational age: 12–41 weeks) from three hospitals in Jiangsu Province. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied for data analysis. The results indicated that an unstable partner’s perceived psychological state negatively affects perinatal mental health. Couple communication partially mediates the relationship between partner’s perceived psychological state and perinatal mental health, and couple communication and perceived social support performed a serial mediation of this relationship. These findings suggest that a partner’s psychological state can induce similar emotional responses in pregnant women. However, effective couple communication can alleviate adverse psychological effects by enhancing perceived social support. This study underscores the imperative to incorporate empowerment of primary support companions (particularly spouses) within prenatal social support frameworks. To advocate for the development of a two-way communication model, the enhancement of effective dichotomous communication skills, and the establishment of a supportive communication environment characterized by openness and regularity. This approach ensures that spousal support aligns with women’s needs, improving the quality and satisfaction of support while reducing the risk of adverse health outcomes.
Preterm births constitute a major public health issue and a chronic, cross-generational condition globally. Psychological and biological factors interact in a way that women from low socio-economic status (SES) are disproportionally affected by preterm delivery and at increased risk for the development of perinatal mental health problems. Low SES constitutes one of the most evident contributors to poor neurodevelopment of preterm infants. Maternal perinatal mental health disorders have persistent effects on behavioral and physiological functioning throughout the lifespan and may even be evident across generations. The overall objective of the proposed longitudinal, multi-disciplinary and multi-method study is to compare the association of psychosocial (maternal mental health, intersubjectivity, attachment, family functioning, dyadic coping and perceived social support), and biological factors (melatonin and heart rate variability) with preterm infants’ development at 9 months (corrected age), between low and high SES families. We will collect data from preterm neonates (<37 weeks gestational age) hospitalized in the Department of Neonatology/Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of the University General Hospital of Heraklion, Greece, and their mothers. Data collection of psychosocial and biological factors will be carried out at birth, and at the corrected age of 6 and 9 months, while preterm infants’ cognitive and social development will be assessed at 9 months corrected age. The findings of this study may highlight the need for early interventions for new mothers coming from low SES in order to promote their preterm infants’ optimal early neurodevelopment and for community-evidence-based prevention efforts to restrict the cycle of health inequities and intergenerational mental disorders.
Parental knowledge is often the result of parents soliciting information from their child and their child’s disclosure of that information. Although child disclosure is most closely (and negatively) associated with behavior problems in adolescence, it is not yet known whether this is also the case in childhood. The aim of this study was to examine the longitudinal associations between child disclosure, parental solicitation, and behavior problems in Grades 1 to 4 in a Canadian sample, taking into account intra-individual stability, the child’s gender, and socioeconomic status. The mothers and teachers of 911 children (62.7% boys) completed questionnaires in Grades 1, 2, 3, and 4. A Random Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Model (RI-CLPM) showed that behavior problems in Grade 2 predicted an increase in parental solicitation in Grade 3. In contrast, behavior problems in Grade 3 predicted a decrease in parental solicitation in Grade 4. No cross-lagged association with child disclosure was observed. Although these results differ from those reported in adolescence, they suggest that middle childhood is a sensitive period for parent–child communication and behavior problems.
The main purpose of this research was to determine the relationship between family functioning and aggression among Spanish adolescents. A sample of 1,196 adolescents between 14 and 18 years old (50 per cent female) were selected from twenty‐three educational centres, ten university degrees and eighteen specific juvenile facilities. The Buss and Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ), and the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale (FACES IV Package) were administered. In regard to results, adolescent hostility was the dimension of aggression most strongly related to poor family functioning. The family functioning risk factors for aggression were disengagement, chaos and rigidity, while family communication was an essential protective factor. Enmeshment did not correlate significantly with aggression but became an aggression risk factor in late adolescence. The family functioning variable most related to adolescent aggression in multi‐problematic families was disengagement, while it was the absence of rigidity among adolescent offenders. The results are discussed considering the cultural context, concluding the importance of Spanish parents combining affection and leadership, and enhancing positive family communication.
The increasing prevalence of adolescent psychological health issues worldwide has become a significant public health concern affecting the future. Families, as the primary environment providing material and emotional support for adolescent development, play a crucial role in fostering growth and psychological well-being. This study employed a literature review methodology, using keywords such as family dysfunction, adolescents, and psychological health, to search for definitions of family dysfunction and relevant literature about its effects on adolescents' psychological health. The review study summarized the definitions of family dysfunction, related research, and its impact on adolescent psychological health. The findings suggest that addressing the impact of family dysfunction on adolescent psychological health effectively requires collaborative efforts from families, schools, and society. Establishing collaborative prevention and intervention mechanisms among family, schools and society, providing educational programs to improve family function, and adopting family-centered intervention strategies are essential steps toward solving this critical issue.
Article visualizations:
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Introduction: This study aims to investigate the
psychometric properties of the Persian version
of the Family Attachment and Changeability
Index (FACI8).
Method: The sample group included 313 male
and female participants (age range 12 to 71),
who were selected using the available sampling
method. The Persian version of the Scale was
applied with Connor- Davidson Resilience Scale
and Cohen et al.'s Perceived Tension
Questionnaire. Confirmatory factor analysis and
convergent and divergent validity were applied
to evaluate the validity of the scale and
Cronbach's alpha was used to evaluate its
Internal Consistency Reliability. For examining
the Test-Retest Reliability, the scale was
performed on 35 subjects and Pearson
correlation was used to measure it.
Results: The results of confirmatory factor
analysis indicated the fit and desirability of the
two-factor model. Significant correlations
between the factors of the Scale with of
Resilience Scale and Perceived Tension also
confirmed the divergent and convergent validity
of this scale. The reliability of the scale using
Cronbach's alpha coefficient calculation for the
whole scale is 0.87 and the test-retest
correlation coefficient of 0.9 Obtained.
Conclusion: In general, it can be said that the
Persian version of the Family Attachment and
Changeability Index, which has two factors
(attachment, changeability), has a factor
structure similar to the original version of the
scale and has the necessary validity and
reliability to use in psychological research in the
Iranian sample.
Keywords: family, attachment, changeability,
validity, factor structure.
Strong emotional bonds with the family often result in many positive consequences for human functioning, including emotional regulation and eating patterns. The study aimed to determine the relationship between unbalanced family cohesion, emotion regulation, and eating problems in young adults. A correlation research design was used with a non-probability purposive sampling technique to recruit a sample consisting of 300 university students, 50% men and 50% women, with an age range from 18 to 25 years ( M = 21.60, SD = 1.95) from the four universities of Lahore. Demographic performa, Family Cohesion Scale (FCS), Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), and Eating Problem Scale (EPS) were used to explore the study variables. Data was analyzed using SPSS 21. Pearson product-moment correlation indicated a significant positive relationship between unbalanced family cohesion, difficulties in emotion regulation, and eating problems. It also revealed that a positive relationship was found among unbalanced family cohesion, difficulties in emotion regulation, and eating problems in young adults. Mediation analysis shows that emotion regulation fully mediates the relationship between unbalanced family cohesion and eating problems in young adults. The findings will help students and family counselors identify risk factors of eating problems and its impact on their transition into marriage life. They will contribute to a deeper understanding of unbalanced family dynamics, difficulties in emotion regulation, and eating problems.
Although romantic relationships are normally characterized by physical proximity, they are often carried out in geographic separation due to factors such as educational and career pursuits. Nowadays a growing population of couples have experienced a status called long-distance relationship or at least in one period of their lives they have had to deal with it. However, there is a research gap in discovering the nature of these experiences and this group is neglected in the research literature on romantic relationships. Therefore, the present study was conducted to discover the spouses' lived experience of the long-distance relationship. The study was qualitative with an interpretive phenomenological approach (IPA). 15 participants were selected by purposeful sampling and subjected to in-depth semi-structured interviews. Smith and Osborn's interpretive phenomenological method was used to analyze and review the interviews. The results of coding the interviews were categorized into three main themes: the first theme was to decide to live with distance, indicating how spouses entered into these relationships. The second theme, the long and cyclic experience of the spouses in the context of their surrounding social network, shows how this experience represents the history of distance within the present experience and the presence of others in the relationship. The third theme, staying in a long-distance relationship, describes why spouses experience this type of relationship in this way. The essence of the research was the constant adaptation to distance with the constant presence of missing loved ones. The results of the research showed that being away from the spouse creates special dynamics between them, which requires constant adaptation and at the same time, it can bring positive experiences. The findings are helpful in better understanding the dimensions of these relationships and not only can open the way for future research in this field but can also be very helpful in designing and implementing couple therapy interventions for spouses who are far apart, to increase the level of satisfaction.
This review aimed to develop a framework to understand the process of information management in families with inherited conditions. Electronic databases were searched for relevant peer-reviewed articles. Articles were included if they were original research on families affected by any confirmed inherited condition, described how a family accesses, interprets, conveys, and/or uses information about the disease, included the recruitment of more than one family member, and used family as the unit of analysis. Data were analyzed through directed content analysis. Thirty-four articles from 27 studies were analyzed. We propose a framework for family information management consisting of the following domains: contextual influences, family information management behaviors, and family information management outcomes. This proposed framework expands the understanding of how families manage their genetic information in making health care decisions for their affected and at-risk relatives.
Objective
This study explores prospective adoptive parents' conceptions by testing hypotheses based on a decision‐making model proposed by Willis Hepp and colleagues grounded in symbolic interaction.
Background
Multiple factors inform decisions to adopt. However, little is known about the decision‐making process as prospective adoptive parents consider this option.
Method
Seventeen prospective adoptive parents were recruited using purposive sampling. An advanced concurrent mixed‐methods design was used to integrate findings from semistructured interviews and a survey using the FACES IV to generate more complete conclusions regarding the model.
Results
Ten themes emerged related to prospective parents' conceptions of self and generalized others, including internalization of adoption as part of one's self, referencing families of origin in family formation thinking, and personal histories informing future visions. Pronatal, biological social pressures echo in families of origin that, combined with religious and other social experiences, impact decision‐making. Family cohesion, flexibility, and communication vary based on where they fall along a spectrum of decision‐making.
Conclusion
Conceptions of self and others inform decision‐making, where some choose, and others wait or opt out of, adoptive parenthood.
Implications
It behooves practitioners to differentiate supports for individuals thinking about transition to adoptive parenthood based on their conceptions of self and generalized others.
The Paradigmatic Framework is a formal and rigorously derived systems‐theoretic model of the organization and operation of human systems, a map covering not just families but also the broader range of human social systems in general. The origins, derivation, and development of the framework and its salient features are summarized. The framework is applied to a close examination of the well‐known and influential Circumplex Model of Marital and Family Systems in terms of its theoretical premises and assumptions and its typological and dimensional features, placing the Circumplex Model within the larger context of other relevant theoretical models of family and the still larger context of human systems in general. Implications for research and practice in the marriage and family field are highlighted with special attention to socio‐cultural context.
This study aimed to investigate the comparative effectiveness of enhanced cognitive‐behavioral couple therapy (ECBCT) on emotional self‐regulation and couple burnout in incompatible couples. The study hypothesizes that ECBCT is efficacious in emotional self‐regulation and marital burnout of incompatible Iranian couples (self‐assigned and court‐referred) visiting counseling centers. Twenty‐eight Iranian couples were divided into four groups (two self‐assigned and court‐referred experimental groups and two self‐assigned and court‐referred control groups) who were selected using the available sampling. The experimental groups were subjected to ECBCT, while the control groups received no therapy. Over time, there was an improvement in emotional self‐regulation and marital burnout in experimental groups compared with control groups. This intervention was more efficacious for the self‐assigned couples of the experimental group according to the Eta coefficient, which was 71 for emotional self‐regulation and 66 for marital burnout. ECBCT helps couples improve their emotional self‐regulation and couple burnout.
The objectives of this study were the following: (a) to examine the psychometric quality of the Romanian version of the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale IV and (b) to assess the cohesion and flexibility of the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale IV according to gender, age, and marital status. A total of 1,359 young people, aged 18 to 30 years, selected from the main university centers in Romania participate in this study. The internal consistency was good for five out of the six scales (Cronbach’s alpha coefficient ranged from .61 to .80) but was poor for the Chaotic scale (α = .53). Very good internal consistency was observed for the Communication (.91) and Satisfaction scales (.94). Five of the six clusters identified by latent class analysis were similar to the family profiles described by Olson. The Flexibly Connected and Flexibly Very Connected families prevailed. Some statistically significant differences were found by gender and age group.
Epidemiological studies on adolescents with eating disorders demonstrate a high prevalence of disordered eating behaviors, with a higher prevalence of eating disorders among girls. Several studies have recently demonstrated an association between female adolescents' eating disorders, parental psychopathological risk, and an impaired family functioning with poor quality of the relationships among family members. On the basis of these premises, we conducted a cross-sectional study initially recruiting 243 families of female adolescents affected by anorexia nervosa (Group A), bulimia nervosa (Group B), and binge eating disorder (Group C) (average age 14–17) to assess their psychological profile (SCL90-R), specific representations of their family functioning (FACES-IV), and the possible effect of adolescents' psychological profiles and parents' psychopathological risk on family functioning. Our results indicate that adolescents and parents in Groups A, B, and C show an unequivocal psychopatholo-gical profile; in particular, adolescents with anorexia present the most severe psychopathological risk. Further, our results show that adolescents and their parents differ in their perception of their family functioning. More specifically, adolescents with anorexia perceive their family as highly disengaged, poorly interwoven, and rigid, in addition cohesion and communication qualities are perceived as low. Interestingly, parental psychopathological risk predicts adolescents' specific perception of their family functioning. These findings may guide clinical interventions as they suggest that distinct maternal psychopathological symptoms can be associated with a variety of clinical configurations in their offspring, whereas paternal psychopathological risk may be present in adolescents suffering from all forms of eating disorders.
Previous studies using Olson’s Circumplex Model and FACES IV, the self-report assessing family functioning, did not clarify the role of rigidity, a dimension of this model. Rigidity emerged as ambiguous: it was considered either as a functional or as a dysfunctional dimension. Building upon the results of previous studies, we provided a contribution intended to disambiguate the role of rigidity considering adolescents’ perceptions and using a non-a priori classification analysis. 320 Italian adolescents (13–21 years) participated in this study and responded to a questionnaire containing scales of the study variables. A latent class analysis was performed to identify the association of rigidity with the other dimensions of Olson’s model and with indicators of adaptive family functioning in adolescence: parental monitoring and family satisfaction. We found six clusters corresponding to family typologies and having different levels of functioning. Rigidity emerged as adaptive in the typologies named rigidly balanced and flexibly oscillating; it was associated with positive dimensions of family functioning, i.e. flexibility, cohesion, parental monitoring, and high levels of family satisfaction. Differently, when rigidity was associated with disengagement, low cohesion and flexibility, and lack of parental supervision, emerged as maladaptive. This was the case of two typologies: the rigidly disengaged and the chaotically disengaged. Adolescents of these families reported the lowest levels of satisfaction. In the two last typologies, the flexibly chaotic and the cohesively disorganized, rigidity indicated a mid-range functionality as these families were characterized by emotional connectedness but lack of containment. Clinical implications are discussed.
The purpose of the present study was to examine the psychometric properties of the FACES-IV in Portuguese caregivers of cancer patients. In this cross-sectional study, a sample of 214 adult children caregivers of cancer patients receiving chemotherapy, completed FACES-IV, Family Communication Scale (FCS), Family Satisfaction Scale (FSS), and Satisfaction with Social Support Scale (SSSS). Internal consistencies above .70 were found for all FACES-IV scales, except for Enmeshed and Rigid scales, as well as for the FCS, FSS, and SSSS (except for Intimacy). Strong correlations between FACES-IV and the validation scales FCS and FSS were found except for the Enmeshed and Rigid scales. Confirmatory analysis yielded an acceptable model for the six theoretical subscales. The discriminant analysis between problematic and non-problematic family systems showed results similar to the original study. These findings suggest that FACES-IV is a valid measure of family functioning in oncological family caregiving’s contexts.
This paper describes a method of family psychotherapy developed as part of a family research project. The research was based on the theoretical premise "the family as the unit of illness." The psychotherapeutic approach "the family as the unit of treatment" was developed from the theoretical premise and incorporated as an integral part of the research project. The goal of this paper has been to present a broad over-all view of both the theoretical and clinical aspects of the psychotherapy. To achieve this, the theoretical premise "the family as the unit of illness" has been described in some detail. The description of family psychotherapy has been focused more on broad principles and the rationale for structuring the psychotherapy than on description and clinical details. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved)
This study describes the development of the Classroom Systems Observation Scale (CSOS) (Fish & Dane, 1992) and reports initial reliability and validity data. The CSOS assesses preschool through sixth grade classroom functioning from a systems perspective using a theoretical framework based on the Circumplex Model of Marital and Family Systems (Olson, Russell & Sprenkle, 1989). The CSOS is theoretically derived, has acceptable interobserver agreement, fair to moderate stability, and is comprised of factors consistent with conceptual components. The design of the CSOS represents a theoretical shift by changing the focus of observation from the individual child to the classroom system. The CSOS can be used in research and holds promise for clinical applications.
Does the Clinical Rating Scale retain its validity when it is used, not by researchers, but by psychotherapists in their clinical practice? Students in a marital and family therapy training center routinely used the Clinical Rating Scale as part of the intake process. Although they had modest training in its use, confirmatory factor analysis indicated that they produced data that provided a reasonable approximation of the underlying factor structure. Therefore, although primarily considered a research instrument, the Clinical Rating Scale may have a role in clinical assessment and treatment planning.
How does a family function? How does a family make a distinctive life of its own while living according to the values of society? In what ways is a family a unit when all its members have personalities of their own? How can we understand diversity among families? Robert D. Hess and Gerald Handel sensitively explore the dynamics of family life in five narrative case studies. The Clarks, Lansons, Littletons, Newbolds, and Steeles are all "typical" families with representative social, cultural, and psychological problems. By simultaneously studying each family as a small group and as a set of individual personalities, the authors have captured the interplay between personality and family as each group works out its own special way of coping with its problems. Further, they have formulated several principles of family functioning that help focus comparison. Family Worlds was the first, and is still one of the few studies, to interview each member of the family, giving equal weight to children as well as to adults, so each family member's perspective is factored into Hess and Handel's family portraits. A new introduction to the Transaction edition illuminates just how significant this ground-breaking study still is today and highlights the new implications it has for today's families as well as emerging approaches.
The Circumplex Model focuses on the three central dimensions of marital and family systems: cohesion, flexibility and communication. The major hypothesis of the Circumplex Model is that balanced couple and family systems tend to be more functional compared to unbalanced systems. In over 250 studies using the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scales (FACES), a linear self-report measure, strong support has been found for this hypothesis. In several studies using the Clinical Rating Scale (CRS), a curvilinear observational measure, the hypothesis was also supported. These two assessment tools, the FACES and the CRS, are designed for research, clinical assessment and treatment planning with couples and families.
This paper examines the difficulties in family assessment research with the two central constructs of cohesion and control. First the status of these constructs in the literature is reviewed, including evidence for their convergent and discriminant validity. Then problems stemming from unarticulated theory, inadequate definitions, and lack of fit between definitions and instrumentation are described. Following this critique, a conceptual reappraisal of the constructs of cohesion and control is offered, based on the family FIRO model, and a framework for making sense of the problems encountered thus far in assessing these domains of family interaction is suggested.
The aim of the present study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Greek version of Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales IV (FACES IV) Package. The original FACES IV displays a six-factor structure with two balanced scalesBalanced Cohesion and Balanced Flexibilityand four unbalanced scalesDisengaged, Enmeshed, Rigid, and Chaoticand has been shown to have satisfactory internal and test-retest reliability. A total of 584 family members agreed to participate in the study. The findings indicated that the Greek version displays similar factor structure to the original version. Cronbach's coefficients for the six scales ranged from .59 to .79. The test-retest correlation coefficients ranged between .94 and .97. The Family Communication Scale and the Family Satisfaction Scale demonstrated high internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Thus, the Greek version of the FACES IV Package appears to be a valid and reliable instrument to be used in both research and clinical assessment of family functioning.
We studied cross-cultural Hungarian adaptation and validation of FACES IV for screening adaptive versus nonadaptive family functioning. A protocol was followed including translation, tests of reliability, construct and convergent validity, standardization, testing of family types, and ratios. Two hundred forty-nine couples (498 adults) from various regions of the country participated in the study. Results indicated high item–remainder correlations and Cronbach alphas. Factor analytic data fitted well with the model indicated by the Olson studies. Most salient results were found for Cohesion, which partially overlapped Flexibility, and had high negative correlations with the Disengaged dimension. Rigid and Chaotic as well as Enmeshed were found to be independent factors. Family types of the Hungarian sample explored by cluster analysis were comparable to the U.S. sample.
This article applies structural equation modeling techniques to explore the relationships between constructs related to family strength and cohesion, acculturation, and trauma symptoms. The study uses a purposive sample comprised of 122 immigrant men and women from the Mexican community based in a large midwestern metropolitan Area. The data were collected using standardized instruments: Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale (FACES IV), The Trauma Symptom Inventory (TSI), and the Short Acculturation Scale for Hispanics (SASH). A factor analysis was conducted with three scales and the modified versions were found to be a better fit for this sample. The model reporting good fit indices is presented in this article. Cohesion and anxiety were found to be significantly and inversely related (.574), in other words family cohesion explained 57% of the variance in TSI. The indicators of the latent variable FACES shared variance of more than 47% with the underlying latent factor. Although the latent factor of TSI informed the latent factor of intrusive thoughts and the indicators of anxiety from 36% to 83%, the model found a significant inverse relationship between the constructs of family strengths and trauma. Level of acculturation (as measured by the Acculturation Scale) did not report a significant relationship with the other two constructs. The implications for research, public policy, and clinical practice with Mexican immigrant families are discussed.
This book is a culmination of the authors' many years of work in developing approaches to family assessment and intervention.
In Section One on "Assessment" the authors discuss the two Beavers Interactional Scales. These assess families on two crucial dimensions: competence, seen as a continuum from healthy to severely dysfunctional, and style, a continuum from centripetal to centrifugal. The scales are supplemented by self-report questionnaires. Using these assessment tools, the therapist can determine into which of nine groups a particular family falls.
In Section Two on "Treatment and Intervention" the authors present general concepts regarding family intervention. Then they discuss specific attitudes and strategies beneficial with families from different groupings: midrange, borderline and severely dysfunctional centripetal, and borderline and severely dysfunctional centrifugal. They close with some comments on the irony that healthier families gain more from therapy than their less healthy neighbors and with some recommendations for family education.
Both beginning and experienced therapists will find much value in this sensible, sensitive, and respectful approach to therapy with families. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Information about family functioning is derived primarily from studies of healthy middle-class families concerned with their children's optimal development. However, the majority of families identified as abusive are poor, and their children are endangered by crime, substandard living conditions, and lack of adequate medical care. The author observes that the primary cause of child maltreatment is poverty rather than psychological factors. The book discusses the lack of consensus on child abuse and neglect and evaluates the abusive family in a broader social context, focusing on such variables as maternal youth, single parent status, marital discord, adoption and foster care, and difficult temperament as causes of maltreatment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Suggests that there are optimal amounts of time together and apart in any family relationship. Too much time spent apart can lead to isolation, rejection, tension, and uncoordination; too much time together can lead to irritability, anger, depression, satiation, and boredom. Factors enabling families to achieve an optimal balance are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
The validity, reliability, and curvilinearity of the Clinical Rating Scale (CRS) from the Circumplex Model were evaluated and the ability of the scale to discriminate between proble/clinical families and nonclinical families was tested on family cohesion, family adaptability, and family communication. Two groups of problem families were compared with two control groups. The study tested the main curvilinear hypothesis of the Circumplex Model that nonclinical families will have more Balanced system types than problem/clinical families. Conversely, problem/clinical families will have more Extreme system types than nonclinical families. Using the CRS, this hypothesis was strongly supported. Family satisfaction was used as a measure to investigate group differences further. As hypothesized, the two control groups had high levels of satisfaction, and the two problem family groups had significantly lower levels of family satisfaction. Overall, the CRS discriminated well between problem families who had more Extreme types on cohesion and adaptability and lower on communication and satisfaction than control families. Investigating different family structures (single-parent, blended, and traditional two-parent families) confirmed these findings. The study provided strong support for the curvilinear hypothesis that problem families are more frequently Extreme on both ends of the family cohesion and adaptability dimensions. It also revealed that the CRS has excellent validity and reliability.
The Circumplex Model focuses on the three central dimensions of marital and family systems: cohesion, flexibility and communication. The major hypothesis of the Circumplex Model is that balanced couple and family systems tend to be more functional compared to unbalanced systems. In over 250 studies using the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scales (FACES), a linear self-report measure, strong support has been found for this hypothesis. In several studies using the Clinical Rating Scale (CRS), a curvilinear observational measure, the hypothesis was also supported. These two assessment tools, the FACES and the CRS, are designed for research, clinical assessment and treatment planning with couples and families.
Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale (FACES) IV was developed to tap the full continuum of the cohesion and flexibility dimensions from the Circumplex Model of Marital and Family Systems. Six scales were developed, with two balanced scales and four unbalanced scales designed to tap low and high cohesion (disengaged and enmeshed) and flexibility (rigid and chaotic). The six scales in FACES IV were found to be reliable and valid. High levels of concurrent, construct, and discriminant validity were found and new ratio scores measure the balanced and unbalanced level of cohesion and flexibility. A clinical example on the use of FACES IV scores to assess family dynamics, plan the treatment, and determine the impact of family therapy is provided.
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.
Measurements based on a structural analytic model of social behavior are presented to describe the 3-yr long psychotherapy of a single family. The model is built on 2 axes, affiliation and interdependence, and appears in 3 planes referring to parentlike, childlike, and introjected behaviors. The model specifies logical opposites, complements, and antidotes and is supported by extensive between-S analyses. The present naturalistic application is offered to illustrate the use of the model for more precise measurement and understanding of between-generational interpersonal difficulties and changes that occur during psychotherapy. Although the model was derived from a Darwinian and developmental framework, its application is consistent with the language and concepts of several different clinical approaches. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Most studies of the Olson Circumplex Model of Marital and Family Systems have utilized a version of the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales (FACES). Because FACES does not appear to operationalize the curvilinear dimension of the Circumplex Model, researchers have been pessimistic about the model's validity. However, the Clinical Rating Scale (CRS) has received some support as a curvilinear measure of the Circumplex Model. Therefore, we used the CRS rather than FACES to test the validity of the Circumplex Model hypotheses. Using a structural equation-modeling analytical approach, we found support for the hypotheses pertaining to the effects of cohesion and communication on family functioning. However, we found no support for the hypotheses pertaining to the concept of adaptability. We discuss these results in the context of previous studies of the Circumplex Model using FACES. Based on the collective findings, we propose a preliminary reformulation of the Circumplex Model.
Circumplex model and FACES: Review of literature. Unpublished manuscript
- E Kouneski
Kouneski, E. (2000). Circumplex model and
FACES: Review of literature. Unpublished
manuscript. Roseville, MN: PREPARE/ENRICH.
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familyinventoriesdatabase.html
The Circumplex Model and the millennial family system
- R Ristow
Ristow, R. (2015). The Circumplex Model and the millennial family system. Unpublished master's thesis.
Omaha, NE: University of Nebraska.
Team organizational profile (TOP) leadership styles. Unpublished manuscript. Denver CO: United Launch Alliance
- R Watson
Watson, R. (2000). Team organizational profile (TOP)
leadership styles. Unpublished manuscript. Denver, CO: United Launch Alliance.
Interpersonal diagnosis of personality
- T Leary
Leary, T. (1975). Interpersonal diagnosis of personality. New York, NY: Ronald Press.
Expressed emotion in families
- J Leff
- C Vaughn
Leff, J., & Vaughn, C. (1985). Expressed emotion in
families. New York, NY: Guilford Press.
PRE-PARE/ENRICH Program: Version
- D H Olson
- A K Olson
Olson, D. H., & Olson, A. K. (1999). PRE-PARE/ENRICH Program: Version 2000. In
R. Berger & M. T. Hannah (Eds.), Preventive
approaches in couple therapy (pp. 196-216).
Philadelphia, PA: Brunner/Mazel.
Circumplex model: Systemic assessment and treatment of families
- D H Olson
- C S Russell
- D H Sprenkle
Olson, D. H., Russell, C. S., & Sprenkle, D. H. (1989).
Circumplex model: Systemic assessment and treatment of families. New York, NY: Haworth Press.
Unpublished doctoral dissertation
- D Gorall
Gorall, D. (2002). FACES IV and Circumplex Model.
Unpublished doctoral dissertation. St. Paul, MN:
Family Social Science, University of Minnesota.
Clinical Rating Scale for Circumplex Model
- D H Olson
Olson, D. H. (2001). Clinical Rating Scale for Circumplex Model. St. Paul, MN: Family Social Science, University of Minnesota.
The family as the unit of study and treatment
- Bowen M.
Bowen, M. (1960). The family as the unit of study and
treatment. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry,
31, 40-60.
The classroom systems observation scale
- Fish M. C.
The relationship between religiosity and the family dynamics of the Circumplex Model of marital and family systems. Unpublished doctoral dissertation
- M Messina
Messina, M. (2008). The relationship between religiosity and the family dynamics of the Circumplex
Model of marital and family systems. Unpublished
doctoral dissertation. Los Angeles, CA: Alliant
International University.
FACES IV: Reliability and Validity. Unpublished doctoral dissertation
- J Tiesel
Tiesel, J. (1994). FACES IV: Reliability and Validity.
Unpublished doctoral dissertation. St. Paul, MN:
Family Social Science, University of Minnesota.
Empowering couples: Building on your strengths
- D H Olson
- A K Olson
Olson, D. H., & Olson, A. K. (2000). Empowering
couples: Building on your strengths. Roseville,
MN: PREPARE/ENRICH.
Separating parents and adolescents
- H Stierlin
Stierlin, H. (1974). Separating parents and adolescents. New York, NY: Quadrangle.
Utility of the Circumplex Model with severely dysfunctional family systems
- F Walsh
- D H Olson
Walsh, F., & Olson, D. H. (1989). Utility of the Circumplex Model with severely dysfunctional family systems. In D. H. Olson, C. S. Russell, &
D. H. Sprenkle (Eds.), Circumplex model: Systemic
assessment and treatment of families (2nd ed., pp.
51-78). New York, NY: Haworth.
Updated Circumplex Model studies
- L Waldvogel
- M Schlieff
Waldvogel, L., & Schlieff, M. (2018). Updated Circumplex Model studies, 2000-2018. Unpublished
manuscript. Roseville, MN: PREPARE/ENRICH.
Normal family processes
- N. B. Epstein
- D. S. Bishop
Circumplex model: Systemic assessment and treatment of families
- F. Walsh
- D. H. Olson
Preventive approaches in couple therapy
- D. H. Olson
- A. K. Olson