General Systems Theory - FM Flashcards
What is General Systems Theory (GST) based on?
Mathematics.
Who adapted GST for understanding biological systems?
Weiss, Miller, Laszlo, and Brody.
What does Engel combine GST with in medicine?
The biopsychosocial model of medicine.
What three principles guide the application of GST to any biological system?
System, Hierarchy, and Forces.
What is the significance of hierarchy in GST?
It defines boundaries and provides structure for projecting forces at each level.
What constitutes “organization in space” in GST?
Structure.
What constitutes “organization in time” in GST?
Function.
List the hierarchy of biological systems from largest to smallest.
Biosphere → Nation → Community → Family → Person → Organ System → Tissue → Cell → Organelle → Molecule → Atom → Sub-atomic Particle.
How does GST view the person and family in relation to medical care?
GST helps clarify the relationship between the family and its members in medical care.
What conditions can a family as an entity experience according to GST?
Distress, Dysfunction, Disruption, and Discoordination in role definition.
What are the three areas to consider when applying GST to the person and family as a unit of medical care?
The system properties of person/family, the linking forces, and the definition of health and disease.
What are generic forces related to Level N in GST?
Environment, Level N+1 (Community), Level N (Family), Level N-1 (Person).
How is health defined according to Laszlo and Brody?
Harmonious interaction of all systems in the hierarchy containing person and family.
How is disease defined in GST?
Non-accommodated perturbation in the hierarchy causing disharmony.
What is an initial perturbation in the context of disease?
An adverse force impacting one or more levels of the hierarchy.
What can dampen the spread of disruptions in the hierarchy?
Supportive properties of the initial and adjacent levels.
According to Cassel, what is stress?
A generic term for any psychological, social, or interpersonal force.
Why do not all stressed people become ill according to studies?
Due to the protective value of intervening support systems, especially the family.
How can a family protect itself from noxious forces?
By generating internal support systems and obtaining external support from other systems.
What does the acronym SCREEM represent in GST?
Social, Cultural, Religious, Economic, Educational, and Medical forces.
What are the socio-cultural forces in SCREEM?
Medical care, lifestyle, time resources, and community networks.
What factors are included in the cultural forces of SCREEM?
Religious, ethnic, and racial background factors.
What factors are included in the economic forces of SCREEM?
Level of education, type, and level of employment.
What does the political force in SCREEM involve?
Legal and policy decisions usually originating at the national level.
