Circumplex Model of Marital and Family Systems: I. Cohesion and Adaptability Dimensions, Family Types, and Clinical Applications

Abstract

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.

Family features in primary social withdrawal among young adults

“…'Cohesion' indicates the family's emotional bonds, and specific variables that can assess the degree of family cohesion include emotional bonding, independence, boundaries, coalitions, time, space, friends, decision-making, and interests and recreation. 4 Adaptability and cohesion were each given a score of between -8 points and + 8 points, and the intermediate group with scores from -2 to + 2 was judged to have a high level of health in these areas. Thus, both extremes in which rules were either too strict or too lenient, and bonds too close or too loose, were judged to have a low level of health in terms of family relationships.…”

“…He later took a part-time job at the age of 24, and acquired a driver's license. 4 2 5 Male He could not obtain the needed school credits at the age of 20 (second year of university) and dropped out. He went to a technical school but did not continue.…”

“…For this purpose we adopted the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale (FACES) of David H. Olson. [4][5][6][7] In addition, we devised a questionnaire on family interactions and the personal situation of the withdrawn person, and used this in a survey of study participants. Family evaluation, family interactions, and personal situations were then compared between those with primary social withdrawal, or other types of social withdrawal, and a group of healthy controls, to identify the characteristics of family relationships in primary social withdrawal.…”

Influence of Family Mealtime and Family Functioning on Early Adolescents' School Adaptation

“…가족순환모델 (Barnes & Olson, 1985;Olson, Russell, & Sprenkle, 1979, 1983 (Kawash & Kozeluk, 1990;Cashwell, 1995)과의 관련성에 대한 연구에서는 후기 청소년기에 있는 학생들을 대 상으로 한 연구 (Kawash & Kozeluk, 1990)에서는 가족응집 만이 정적 관련이 있는 것으로 나타난 반면에 중학생을 대상 으로 한 연구 (Cashwell, 1995) …”

Developing Family Relationship Scale and the Hierarchical Factor Structures

“…dynamic whole " " e.g., Beavers, 1981 ;Bloom, 1985 ;Moos & Moos, 1976 ;Olson et al, 1979 ;1993 ;1991 -- …”