Chapter 4 Flashcards
What is the key concept in systems theory that describes how families self-regulate to maintain stability?
Homeostasis
What term refers to boundaries that are too rigid or too blurred, which can increase the risk of family dysfunction?
Permeability
What concept in family systems theory refers to rules governing the family that change as members mature?
Metarules
What is the term for subsystems within a family, such as the parental subsystem?
Family Subsystems
What term describes feedback that promotes change within the family system?
Positive Feedback
What term refers to feedback that restores the family system to its original state?
Negative Feedback
What concept describes a system’s ability to thrive by adapting to new experiences and discarding outdated behaviors?
Negentropy
What is the term for families that adjust their structure as needed to deal with changes in family life?
Adaptive Families
Which theory in family therapy addresses the continuous interaction between family members and outside systems?
Open Systems
What term refers to families that avoid external influence and resist changes from the outside world?
Closed Systems
What is the term for family interactions that occur at specific points in the life cycle, requiring family adaptation?
Life Cycle Transitions
What term refers to the complex, reciprocal interaction of parts within a family system?
Dynamic Equilibrium
What concept in systems theory refers to the clarity of boundaries that define family subsystems?
Boundary Clarity
What term describes the idea that no part of the family system operates in isolation?
Systemic Thinking
What concept describes a family system’s response to internal and external stressors?
Feedback Loops
What term refers to the ability of a system to maintain functioning by exchanging information within and outside the family?
Information Processing
What is the term for when a family system successfully reorganizes itself after a period of disequilibrium?
Family Adaptation
What is the concept describing a family’s resistance to changes that threaten its stability?
Counterdeviation
What is the term for boundaries that allow for appropriate levels of interaction between family members and external systems?
Flexible Boundaries
What concept refers to the family system’s use of rules, both spoken and unspoken, to regulate family interactions?
Family Rules
