emotional and physical barriers that protect and enhance the integrity of individuals, subsystems and families
Black Box concept-
The idea that the because the mind is so complex, it is better to study their input and output their behavior and communication then to speculate
Circular causality-
The idea that actions are related through a series of recursive loops or repeating cycles
Complementarity-
The reciprocity that is the defining feature of every relationship.
Complementary relationship-
Based on differences that fit together the qualities of one make up for what lacks in the other, one is up while the other is down.
Cybernetics-
the science of feedback; how information, both positive and negative feedback loops can help self regulate a system.
Content-
What the families talk about
Double Bind-
A conflict created when a person receives contradictory messages on different levels of abstraction in an important relationship and they can�t leave or comment.
Marital schism-
Lidz's term for pathological overt marital conflict
Marital Skew-
Lidz's term for a marriage when one spouse dominates the other
Metacommunication-
Every message has two levels; report and command. It is the implied command or the qualifying message
Morphogenesis-
The process by which a system changes its structure to adapt to new contexts.
Family Homeostasis-
the tendency of families to resist change to keep a steady state.
Family rules-
redundant behavioral patterns
Feedback loop-
process by which a system gets the information necessary to maintain a steady course. Can be negative or positive. Negative feedback- how far off the mark the system is straying and the corrections needed to get back on course. It signals the system to get back to baseline/ status quo. Positive feedback- information that confirms and reinforces the direction a system is taking.
General Systems Theory-
A biological model of living systems that maintain themselves through input and output from the environment.
Identified Patient-
The person identified by the family as the one with the symptoms.
Open system-
a set of interrelated elements that exchange information with the environment.
Paradox-
A self contradictory statement based on valid deduction from acceptable premises.
Paradoxial injunction/ directive-
Technique used in strategic therapy where the therapist directs the family to continue their symptomatic behaviors . if they conform they admit control, if they rebel they give up their symptoms.
Pescribing the symptom-
a technique that forces the client to give up the symptom or admit that it is under voluntary control.
Process-
How the members of the family relate
Pseudohostility-
Wynne's term for superficial bickering that masks pathological alignments in schizophrenic families
Pseudomutality-
Wynnes term for the faade of family harmony that characterizes many schizophrenic families.
Quid pro quo-
something for something
Reframing-
Re-labeling a family's description of behavior to make it more open to therapeutic change
Resistance-
things patients or families do to interfere with the therapy process.