ABSTRACT

Family development assumes change in family systems over time. The Circumplex Model is a dynamic model that describes types of family systems and can help explain developmental change. This chapter provides an overview of family systems and family stress across the family life cycle. Data is based on a study of over 1,000 nonclinical families from a national survey. The Circumplex Model of Marital and Family System is used as the theoretical foundation. This chapter also reviews a variety of derived and tested hypotheses that validate the Circumplex Model. It is recommended that both the newly developed self-report scales, Circumplex Assessment Package (CAP), and the Clinical/Observer Rating Scale (CRS), be used for family research. The chapter reflects the continuing attempt to further develop the Circumplex Model and facilitate systemic studies of family development across the life cycle.

Life-span development and family development theory share many underlying concepts, the most basic of which is change. The major distinction is that whereas span development focuses on the individual at multiple levels across time from childhood through adulthood (Bakes, Reese, & Lipsitt, 1980), family development emphasizes the family system as a unit. More specifically, whereas life-span development increasingly focuses on plasticity (Lerner, 1984, 1986), the same concept could be applied to family systems. Family system plasticity would focus on the extent to which the family system changes its structure and dynamics across the life cycle.

166A definition of family development that integrates psychological development and the family system perspective was offered by Klaus Schneewind (1986) where he stated: “Family development is a process of personality development within the family context taking its course in mutually relatedness” (page 10). This definition emphasizes the importance of the family context for the development of an individual and also indicates the dynamic relationship between individuals and their family system over time. Based on general system theory, it follows that change in either the individual or in the family system would create some impact or change in the other system.

This chapter presents a model that can describe various types of family systems. This model also assumes that these family systems would change across the family life cycle. In other words, the Circumplex Model of Family Systems is a dynamic model that assumes change in contrast to individual personality types that are presumed to have higher levels of stability. Ideally, to capture the process of family development would require longitudinal studies. Unfortunately, most research in family development and theorizing has been based on cross-sectional studies that only provide a snapshot of families at various stages of the life cycle.

The purpose of this chapter is to provide a brief overview of the Circumplex Model of Family Systems, which can be used to describe types of family systems in a more systematic and theoretically relevant way. A brief review is also provided of hypotheses derived from the Model, and studies validating these hypothesis are discussed.

Data from a cross-sectional survey of over 1,000 families at various stages of the life cycle is described. Differences in family systems at these stages are illustrated as well as the relationship between family types, family stress, and family satisfaction.

Newly developed procedures for assessing family systems are also presented. A recently developed set of self-report instruments called the Circumplex Assessment Package (CAP) and the Clinical Observer Rating Scale (CRS) is also described. The advantage of using both the self-report and observational methodology is that it better helps capture the dynamics and complexity of family systems.