6..1 The Differentiated Self By Murray Bowen Flashcards
- American Psychiatrist and professor in psychiatry at Georgetown University.
- Pioneered work on family therapy and was a noted founder of systematic therapy.
Murray Bowen
Developed family systems theory and the concept of the “differentiation of self” based on a systems understanding maturity (denotes a person’s ability to think as an individual while staying meaningfully connected to others.)
Murray Bowen
Refers to the degree to which one can balance:
1) emotional and intellectual functioning and;
2) Intimacy and autonomy in relationship (or the need to be attached with the need to separate self)
“Differentiation of Self”
The two levels of the “differentiated self”
Intrapsychic Level and Interpersonal Level
refers to the ability to distinguish thoughts from feelings and to choose between being guided by one’s intellect or one’s emotions.
Intrapsychic Level of differentiation
_______ Level: __________ allows one to experience strong affect or shift to calm, logical reasoning when circumstances dictate.
Intrapsychic; Greater differentiation
______ Level: _________ persons tend to be more emotionally reactive, finding it difficult to remain calm in response to the emotionality of others. With intellect and emotions fused, they tend to make decisions on the basis of what “feels right”; in short, they are trapped in an emotional world.
Intrapsychic Level; Poorly differentiated
_______ Level: _________ refers to the ability to experience intimacy with and independence from others
Interpersonal; differentiations
More differentiated persons are capable of taking an “_________” in relationships
I Position
maintaining a clearly defined sense of self and thoughtfully adhering to personal convictions when pressured by others to do otherwise.
I Position
Interpersonal Level: Differentiations allows for flexible boundaries that permits _________ and ______________ with another without a fear of merger.
emotional intimacy and physical union
Interpersonal Level: When overwhelmed by emotionality in their family relationships, poorly differentiated individuals tend to engage in _______ or __________.
infusion, emotional cutoff
If HIGHLY FUSED; what does this refer to?
Undifferentiated People
IF ________: the individual functions automatically and respond emotionally to life situations.
HIGHLY FUSED
IF _________: let the emotional system take control of all their actions.
HIGHLY FUSED
IF HIGHLY FUSED: When you have a PSEUDO SELF you:
- React to those around you;
- In an unhealthy relationship, two pseudo selves come together and fuse into each other,
- one person losing and the other person gaining self;
- Operates by rules, customs, and expectations and does not know what it truly believes;
- Product of emotional pressure and every group in society exerts pressure on its members to conform; and
- May belong to groups with conflicting ideas but does not know why it feels uneasy, unaware of its own beliefs.
IF ____________: the individual has an autonomous intellectual system that can control his/her emotional system.
HIGHLY DIFFERENTIATED
IF __________: Respond better to life’ stresses
HIGHLY DIFFERENTIATED
IF __________: Adequate thinking control over emotionality but still allows human emotions.
HIGHLY DIFFERENTIATED
IF __________: They allow both the intellectual and emotional systems to function appropriately
HIGHLY DIFFERENTIATED
IF HIGHLY DIFFERENTIATED: Self is called ______.
solid self
Highly fused individuals may have the following characteristics according to Bowen’s theory (Skowron and Friedlander, 1998):
They are either dogmatic or compliant.
2. They have a few firmly held convictions and beliefs.
3. They seek acceptance and approval above all other goals.
4. They remain emotionally “stuck” in the position they occupied in their families of origin.
• Fused person experience separation as devastating.
Individuals showing emotional cutoff
usually displays the following
characteristics, according to Skowron
and Friedlander (1998):
- reactive emotional distance;
- appear aloof and isolated from
others; - tend to deny the importance of
family; - often boast their freedom from
parents; and - display an exaggerated facade of
Independence
• Emotionally cut off and finds intimacy deeply threatening.
Both highly fused individuals and individuals showing emotional cutoff are _______ DIFFERENTIATED since they base their self-esteem on others’ approval and usually conform to those around them.
POORLY
What level and type of differentiation:
• Shift to calm, logical reasoning
• Flexible
• Adaptable
• Cope with stress better
Highly differentiated, intrapsychic level
What level and type of differentiation:
• Emotionally reactive
• Difficult to remain calm
• Makes decisions on the basis of “what feels right”
Poorly differentiated, intrapsychic level
What level and type of differentiation:
• Engage in fusion
• Emotional cut-off
• Experience greater chronic anxiety
• Become more dysfunctional easily when under stress
• Suffer more physical and psychological symptoms.
Poorly differentiated, interpersonal level
What level and type of differentiation:
• Capable of taking “I Position” in relationships
• Maintain a clearly defined sense of self
• Adheres to their personal convictions
• Allows flexible boundaries
• Permits emotional maturity and physical union without the fear of being merged
• Demonstrate better psychological adjustment
• Establish more satisfying marriages
• Effective problem solvers.
Highly differentiated, interpersonal level
____________ individuals are thought to establish better psychological adjustment.
Highly differentiated
They are also expected to remain in satisfying contact with their families of origin, establish more satisfying marriages, and become effective problem solvers.
Highly differentiated individuals
______________ individuals experience greater chronic anxiety and become more dysfunctional more easily when under stress.
Less differentiated
They suffer more physical and psychological symptoms
Less differentiated individuals
“An entire family can be changed through the effort of one person” quote by who
Murray Bowen
