Intro of “Bowen Theory’s Secrets: Revealing the Hidden Life of Families”
The first book I read on family systems was by
{{c1::Jenny Brown}}
|
Title of first book on family systems that I read
{{c1::Growing Yourself Up}}
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The second book on family systems that I'm reading is called
{{c1::Bowen Theory's Secrets: Revealing the Hidden Life of Families}}
|
The second book on family systems that I'm reading is by
{{c1::Michael Kerr}}
|
Name of person who developed family systems theory:
{{c1::Murray Bowen}}
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The title of the second book on family systems that I'm reading was influenced by the book:
{{c1::The Hidden Life of Trees}}
|
Forester Peter Wohlleben describes trees as {{c1::social beings}} and {{c1::the forest as a social network}},
which is analogous to how Bowen theory views families
|
Re: family systems
The idea of {{c1::the family as an emotional unit}}
requires a radical and difficult shift in conceptual thinking
away from
{{c1::individualism}}
|
While others like
Ludwig von Bertalanffy
and Norbert Wiener
{{c1::extended systems theories to human behaviour}},
Bowen was the first to
{{c1::study the family in a live-in setting}}
|
Details of Bowen's NIMH Family Study Project
{{c1::was a long-term study of families having one young adult member diagnosed with schizophrenia}}
|
Re: Bowen's NIMH Family Study Project, what researchers weren't limited to
{{c1::As they could observe family interactions directly,
researchers were not limited to what family members said about their interactions}}
|
Bowen recognised that family processes could not be conceptualised using conventional {{c1::cause-and-effect}} thinking
|
Re: Bowen's family systems
Cause-and-effect thinking assumes
{{c1::the principal cause of a person's symptoms resides within the person}},
AKA {{c1::individual psychopathology}}
|
John Bowlby's attachment theory, unlike Bowen's,
{{c1::placed the problem within the person of the patient and invoked maternal deprivation as its prime cause}}
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Re: family systems
Systems thinking is necessary to describe
{{c1::the reciprocal interaction process
where the individual and the family each affect the other}}
|
In Bowen theory, "self" refers specifically to
{{c1::differentiation of self}}
distinguishing it from other conceptualisations
|
The uniqueness of Bowen theory's concept of "self" is
{{c1::that it includes how individuals function in relationship systems}}
|
(Bowen)
Re: accurately assessing the robustness of a person's "self"
{{c1::Can only occur in the context of their relationship environment}}
|
(Bowen)
"Self" continuum
{{c1::A person's capacity to maintain "self" at one end
to their vulnerability to lose "self" at the other}}
|
(Bowen)
The pressure for oneness in families was termed "{{c1::stuck-togetherness}}"
and later {{c1::the togetherness force}}
|
The counterbalancing force to togetherness is individuality, defined as a life growth force toward differentiation of self
{{c1::individuality}}
|
The intellectual system, enabled by the cerebral cortex, allows humans to use reason to exert some control over emotional system functioning
{{c1::intellectual system}}
|
Feelings are subjectively experienced via the cortex but reflect activity of the ancient subcortical circuits of the emotional system
{{c1::emotional system}}
|
A key outcome of the NIMH Family Study Project was a method of therapy for the family unit
{{c1::the family unit}}
|
Therapy helps people see the hidden processes of how they lose "self" in a relationship, providing a blueprint for change
{{c1::lose "self"}}
|
Unlike psychodynamic therapy, Bowen theory uses a systems lens to view current real-world interactions
{{c1::systems lens}}
|
Being an individual while closely involved with others enhances the stability and adaptive capacities of a relationship system
{{c1::stability and adaptive capacities}}
|
When people lose the ability to be an individual in a system, it becomes vulnerable to increased anxiety, which can fuel symptoms
{{c1::symptoms}}
|
A systems view shifts from "I am helpful because you are helpless" to seeing it as a reciprocal process: the more helpless you act, the more helpful I get, and vice versa
{{c1::reciprocal process}}
|
Blaming others and blaming oneself are the enemies of gaining a systems perspective
{{c1::Blaming others and blaming oneself}}
|
Translating a new way of thinking into a new way of being requires conviction and courage
{{c1::conviction and courage}}
|
A hallmark of a successful effort to define "self" is that it does not disrupt a relationship but instead solidifies it and fosters mutual respect
{{c1::solidifies it}}
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Basic levels of differentiation of self are associated with people's ability to adapt to stressful life circumstances
{{c1::adapt to stressful life circumstances}}
|
Where people fall on the differentiation continuum reflects their ability to use their intellectual system to distinguish between feeling and intellectual processes
{{c1::feeling and intellectual processes}}
|
Being more differentiated is not about suppressing feelings but about using an intellectual process to gain objectivity and emotional neutrality
{{c1::objectivity and emotional neutrality}}
|
(Re: Bowen)
Research on chimpanzees who
{{c1::could point to a lower number of treats only if it was shown via an abstract symbol}}
suggests a parallel for
{{c1::using a theoretical concept to override an emotional impulse}}
|
(Re: Bowen)
The chimps learned to
{{c1::choose the smaller reward
when the treats were replaced by affectively neutral symbols (numbers),
allowing them to restrain their impulse}}
|
(Re: Bowen)
One person's ability to firmly maintain "self" in an anxious system
(6 words)
{{c1::interrupts the infectious spread of anxiety}}
|
(Re: Bowen)
It is unnecessary and counterproductive to try to change others;
{{c1::managing oneself well}} is sufficient to halt escalating chronic anxiety
|
|
Making Bowen theory one's own requires shifting completely from
{{c1::cause-and-effect thinking}}
to
{{c1::systems thinking}}
Chapter 1
I’ve already read about systems theory & some of Donella Meadow’s “Thinking in Systems: A Primer”, so already feel like I grok the basics
In Bowen theory, there are (count) {{c1::8}} "{{c1::interlocking concepts}}"
|
The statement
"{{c1::I feel depressed because you would rather work in your garden than be with me}}"
is an example of
cause-and-effect thinking
|
Cause-and-effect thinking seeks to explain behaviour by asking what primary question?
{{c1::Why?}}
|
(Bowen)
Rather than asking "{{c1::why}}",
Systems thinking tracks a relationship process by asking what four questions?
{{c1::How, what, when, and where}}
|
In systems thinking,
A husband's depression and his wife's withdrawal are not cause and effect,
but are seen as a...
{{c1::reciprocal emotional process}}
|
Within systems thinking,
{{c2::the flow of emotions between people that mutually alters their internal states and actions }}
is termed the...
{{c1::emotional process}}
|
Why is blaming one's partner considered nonsensical from a systems thinking perspective?
{{c1::Because both people help create the changes in each other to which they then react}}
|
In systems thinking,
Anxiety-driven interactions that can lead to abuse
are understood as a {{c1::reciprocal process where each person plays a part}},
rather than a simple
{{c1::perpetrator-victim dynamic}}
|
The primary determinant for success in family therapy,
is the ability of
{{c1::at least one family member to shift from cause-and-effect thinking to systems thinking}}
|
The more a family system lacks differentiation of self,
the more pronounced its
{{c1::action-reaction process}}
|
In Bowen theory,
What is the core concept that describes an individual's capacity to balance their
{{c2::Emotional and intellectual functioning}}?
{{c1::Differentiation of self}}
|
Re: drives
An individual with a low level of "self" is
{{c1::More governed by their reactions to cues}}
|
How does Bowen's concept of 'triangles' fundamentally differ from Freud's 'Oedipus complex'?
{{c1::Bowen's is based on systems thinking
Whereas Freud's is an extension of individual, cause-and-effect thinking}}
|
(According to Bowen theory)
The driving forces for {{c1::energy and activity}} within living systems,
reside in the...
{{c1::emotional system}}
Chapter 2
How does Bowen theory's use of the term "emotional system" differ from common usage?
{{c1::It is used more broadly,
including the adaptive mechanisms of even simple organisms like bacteria}}
|
Why does Bowen theory take such an expanded, evolutionary view of the emotional system?
{{c1::To ensure the legacy
of billions of years of evolution on the human emotional system
is not overlooked}}
|
What metaphor is used by Michael Kerr
to describe the process of observing an emotional system?
{{c1::Studying the wind}}
|
How is observing a family's emotional system similar to observing the wind?
{{c1::You cannot see the system/wind itself,
but you can infer its presence and force
by its effects on visible things (family members/trees and sails)}}
|
The flow of invisible {{c1::emotional forces}} through a family,
inferred by its impact on members, is referred to as the...
{{c1::emotional field}}
|
A young man who acts childishly
only when visiting his parents,
and blames them for it, is failing to see the...
{{c1::reciprocal process that he unwittingly helps create}}
|
Bowenian perspective re: problems from the past causing problems in the present?
{{c1::The past doesnt create problems in the present
The problems are actively re-created by the participants in the present}}
|
From a Bowenian perspective, relationship systems can be seen as extensions of the...
{{c1::emotional systems of individual brains}}
|
The Bowenian perspective that the relationship system
is {{c1::an extension}} of the emotion brain
rhymes with the idea of
{{c1::The Extended Mind Thesis}}
|
Bowen states that
Automatic human behaviours, such as
{{c1::distancing in the face of intensity}},
may have their roots in primitive mechanisms found in
single-celled organisms
|
According to neuroscience,
the brain's emotional system is primarily located in the
{{c1::Subcortical}} part of the brain
|
Neuroscience:
The brain's emotional system is AKA the {{c1::limbic system}}
|
The core of Bowen theory's concept of "differentiation of self"
relates to the brain's ability to distinguish between
{{c1::Feeling and thinking}}
|
A person with higher differentiation of self
is able to be informed by both
{{c1::feeling}} and {{c1::thinking}}
but can ultimately choose to act on
{{c1::thinking}}
|
Two key limiations of the "wind" metaphor for family emotional systems:
{{c1::1 - people in a system help generate the "emotional wind" through their reactions
2 - People have some choice over their reaction to the emotional process}}
Chapter 3
According to Bowen theory, the {{c1::smallest stable}} relationship system is known as a triangle
|
In Bowen theory, {{c1::a triangle}}
is considered the "molecule" or basic building block of an emotional system
|
The inherent instability of a two-person system stems from
{{c1::
the human conflict between
the need for closeness
and the fear of too much closeness (intrusion)}}
|
In an emotional triangle, the two people who
{{c1::align together against a third}}
are known as the insiders
|
The individual in a triangle who
{{c1::is blamed for the tension between the other two}}
is referred to as the outsider
|
How does a triangle create stability for the two insiders?
{{c1::It allows them to externalise their anxieties onto a third person,
blaming them for any tensions}}
|
The process of
{{c2::anxiety shifting
between the three relationships within a triangle}}
is known as {{c1::dynamic equilibrium}}
|
What happens when a single emotional triangle becomes overloaded with anxiety?
{{c1::A fourth person is drawn in, creating interlocking triangles}}
|
A series of {{c1::interlocking triangles}}
can {{c2::spread anxiety infectiously through a group}},
leading to polarised subgroups
|
According to Bowen theory,
group polarisation is caused by
{{c1::an underlying emotional process}},
not primarily by
{{c1::the beliefs the groups hold}}
|
A key difference between a healthy, principled alliance
and an emotional triangle
is that a triangle is
{{c1::driven by anxiety}}
|
According to Bowen theory,
the ability to manage the {{c1::closeness-distance}} dilemma more effectively
is a sign of a well-differentiated person
|
Poorly differentiated people are more likely to
react to relationship anxiety by
(3 things)
{{c1::shutting down,
distancing,
or becoming aggressive}}
|
What is a common strategy an outsider might use
to gain an inside position in a triangle?
{{c1::Telling a negative story
about one insider to the other insider
to form a new alliance}}
|
In a triangle, the person in the {{c1::outside}} position absorbs {{c2::the anxiety generated by the system}}
|
The stability of the insiders' relationship
often depends on their ability to
{{c1::externalise their anxieties onto the outsider}}
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Thinking that views behaviour as each person contributing to and responding to a larger relationship process is called {{c1::systems thinking}}
|
Gossip, involving talking about a third person,
serves as a {{c1::primary vehicle for spreading anxiety through triangles}}
|
The more {{c1::anxiety-driven}} and {{c1::negative}} the emotional valence of gossip,
the more likely it is to {{c1::create insiders and outsiders}}
|
In Bowen theory,
people with a lower level of "self"
are more dependent on {{c1::affiliation with a group}}
to support their emotional functioning
|
What is the (adaptive!) primary function of a triangle within a relationship system?
{{c1::To compartmentalise anxiety,
thereby impairing the functioning of as few people as possible}}
|
When tension arises between two insiders,
what is a common way for {{c2::the more uncomfortable insider}} to react?
{{c1::To initiate closeness with the outsider}}
|
In Bowen theory diagrams, a square symbolises a {{c1::male}}
|
In Bowen theory diagrams, a circle symbolises a {{c1::female}}
Returning to the intro for a second round
2025-07-13
Why family systems is like an anti-meme
{{c1::The emotional system is invisible, like the wind}}
|
Michael Kerr's family history:
{{c1::4 sons, one of whom committed suicide at age 35}}
|
The two things Bowen did that differed from Wiener and von Bertalanffy:
{{c1::Studied the family in a live-in setting}}
+
{{c2::Describe the specific factual details about how the families function as systems}}
|
The two things Bowen did that differed from Wiener and von Bertalanffy:
{{c1::Studied the family in a live-in setting
+
Describe the specific factual details about how the families function as systems}}
|
Re: family and gestalt:
{{c1::The interactions of family members
add up to a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts}}
|
Dates of Bowen starting work on his theory, to his death
{{c1::1946-1990}}
|
(Bowen)
The most important of the 8 interlocking concepts:
{{c1::Differentiation of self}}
|
Re: the term "differentiation":
Cell differentiation and integration are key to {{c1::the adaptive capacities of complex organisms}}
The differentiation of human beings is key to {{c1::the adaptive functioning of complex family units}}
|
The key learning from the NIHM project:
{{c1::A family functions as an emotional unit}}, meaning:
{{c1::The emotional functioning of family members
is far more interdependent
than had been previously recognized}}
|
The core of emotional interdependence is that
{{c1::a change in the emotional functioning of one member
is predictably associated with reciprocal changes
in the emotional functioning of other members}}
|
Example of healthy interdependent functioning in a family:
{{c1::
If a wife falls and breaks her ankle,
her husband modifies his schedule to take over functions that his wife would normally do
This, be overfunctions, she underfunctions}}
|
The pattern of overfunctioning and underfunctioning becomes a problem if
{{c1::chronic anxiety is the drive}}
because
{{c1::now the over/under-functioning is driven by anxiety, not reality of people's functioning}}
|
One fundamental characteristic of an emotional system is people pressuring one another to
{{c1::think and act alike}}
as this
{{c1::promotes a feeling of connection}}
|
(Bowen)
"{{c2::Togetherness force}}" is {{c1::the pressure for oneness and agreement in families}}
|
Certain communications and behaviors function to
to define and maintain "self" or distinctness within the group;
other communications and behaviors function to
maintain oneness with the group
|
Identifying the two classes of behaviors in relationship systems
({{c1::forces to maintain "self" vs forces to maintaine oneness}})
makes it possible to objectively study
{{c1::the capacity to be a "self."}}
|
(Bowen)
Functional facts are
{{c1::facts about how people function in relationship to one another}}
|
How to objectively study the capacity for "self" in a relationship system:
{{c1::Observe the two forces ("self"-maintaining vs togetherness)}}
|
An inflexible person who cannot relinquish the control position
and a person who cannot relinquish the helpless position
are {{c1::pressuring each other to function in a certain way}},
which is a product of {{c2::the togetherness force}}
|
(Bowen)
The counterbalancing force to {{c1::togetherness}} is {{c1::individuality}}
|
(Bowen)
An expanded definition of individuality:
{{c1::a life growth force toward differentiation of self}}
|
The {{c1::cortical}} components comprise what Bowen theory defines as
{{c2::the intellectual system}}
|
(Bowen)
The intellectual system enables human beings to
{{c1::think/reason/reflect}}
and
{{c1::use those abilities to exert control over some aspects of emotional system functioning}}
|
{{c1::Self-regulation}} is a key ingredient for maintaining "self,"
in an anxious social context
|
Bowen, re: the intellectual system
(2 words each)
Cortical components {{c1::guide actions}};
Subcortical components {{c1::motivate actions}}.
|
Variation in the development of {{c1::the intellectual system}} among individuals
is central to explaining variation among human beings in
their ability to maintain "self" in relationship systems
|
In contrast to modern neuroscience,
Bowen theory permits study of the "self" by
{{c1::observing how people function in relationships}}
|
In the NIMH study, the researchers discovered that
motivated family members could
{{c1::could learn to apply factual knowledge
about predictable relationship processes in their family
to improve their ability to maintain "self" in the system}}
|
Re: how learning about family systems is useful
{{c1::When people see the specific
(previously unobserved/hidden)
processes of how they lose "self" in a relationship,
this provides a blueprint that helps them
figure out what they need to do to be more of a "self" in the system}}
|
It may seem counterintuitive, but the ability to
{{c1::be an individual while closely involved with others}}
enhances the stability and adaptive capacities of a relationship system
|
Being more of a "self" begins with
(4 lines)
{{c1::using the lens of systems thinking
to observe the basic emotionally driven patterns
that exist in family relationship systems
and one's part in sustaining those patterns}}
|
Of Vervaeke's 4 Ps,
the first part of being more of a "self" is
{{c1::perspectival}}
in that in involves
{{c1::using the lens of system thinking
to observe the emotional patterns in the system
and one's part in sustaining them}}
|
The second part of being more of a "self" is
{{c1::translating this new way of seeing
into a new way of being}}
|
Of Vervaeke's 4 Ps,
the second part of being more of a "self" is
{{c1::participatory}}
in that it involves
{{c1::a new role, a new posture, a new salience landscape}}
|
Doing the second part of being more of a "self" requires
{{c1::Courage and conviction}}
as
{{c1::you need to step into a new way of being}}
|
Surprisingly, successfully defining "self" {{c1::fosters mutual respect}}
|
Re: the intellectual system
"This possibly unique human capacity
enables a choice between whether to
{{c1::act on thinking and a long-term view}}
or to
{{c1::act on feelings to relieve the anxiety of the moment}}
|
One family member having an improved understanding of
{{c1::how the family system functions}}
and
{{c1::his or her part in the system problem}}
allows for
{{c2::more "self" to emerge}}
and
{{c2::an associated reduction in system anxiety}}
|
The sureness and firmness that come from
{{c1::comprehending both sides of a reciprocal interaction
and our own part in it}}
is a vast improvement over trying to act calm and being rigidly rational
|
The Bowen "single continuum" is a continuum of {{c1::emotional functioning}}
|
Re: the Bowen continuum:
People at one end generally can
{{c1::recognize thoughts and viewpoints
that are strongly influenced by emotions
more than by facts about the reality at hand}}
and people at the other end
{{c1::have great difficulty making this distinction
or, even if somewhat aware, still succumb to the emotions}}
2025-07-14
Chapter 1, round 2 (manual flashcards)
In the intro to "Bowen Theory's Secrets"
The book
"{{c1::The Righteous Mind (2012)}}"
is cited as
"beautifully describng the powerful, pervasive, and largely out-of-awareness impact
of {{c1::emotion on thinking}}
|
On the journey of using Bowen's theory
You increase your level of conviction by
{{c1::acting on a system
and getting the predicted result}}
|
Quote from Sapiens
{{c1::A theory that enables us to do new things}} constitutes knowledge.
|
The magic of changing yourself, with knowledge of systems theory:
{{c1::You can work at changing yourself
without feeling like you are giving up or giving in
Because you know that changing yourself
leads to substantive changes in others as well}}
|
Metaphor for husband and wife both thinking the other is to blame
(3 words)
{{c1::Chinese Finger Trap}}
Because
{{c1::Each spouse is equally reactive to the other}}
or
"{{c1::It takes two to tango}}"
|
Cause-and-effect thinking asks
"{{c1::why does the other person treat me this way?}}"
perpetuating
{{c1::victim mindset}}
whereas system thinking asks
{{c2::how, what, when, where}}
AKA
{{c2::Meta-level mindset}}
|
Cause-and-effect thinking asks
"{{c1::why does the other person treat me this way?}}"
perpetuating
{{c1::victim mindset}}
whereas system thinking asks
{{c1::how, what, when, where}}
AKA
{{c1::Meta-level mindset}}
|
Systems thinking describes functional facts about relationship interactions.
E.g., the functional fact that
{{c1::Husband blames wife -> she retreats in reaction }}
and
{{c1::Wife retreats -> be blames more }}
|
Two things from chapter 1 of Michael Kerr's book that relate to "This is Water"
{{c1::Cause and effect thinking
The Righteous Mind}}
Chapter 2, round 2 (manual flashcards)
I spotted a parallel to Plato’s 3-part psyche from a recent Vervaeke video I watched 😎
In the chapter "evolution and the emotional system"
Kerr states that
The study of behavior best begins
{{c1::in the context of relationships}}
|
People often object to being compared to ants or naked mole rats,
but this is precisely the message of Bowen theory:
{{c1::human beings have far less autonomy
in their emotional functioning
than we generally assume}}
|
The parts of Plato's 3-part soul:
{{c1::The many-headed beast
The lion
The human}}
|
Plato's 3-part psyche:
The many-headed beast is
The {{c1::Appetitive}} Part
|
Greek for Plato's many-headed beast
{{c1::Epithymetikon}}
|
Plato's many-headed beast contains
{{c1::all our physical appetites and desires
(for food, drink, sex, and money)}}
|
Plato's 3-part psyche:
The lion is
The {{c1::Spirited}} Part
|
Greek for Plato's lion:
{{c1::Thymos}}
|
The thymos is the seat of your {{c1::social emotions}}
|
The thymos craves
{{c1::honour, recognition, and victory}}
|
Plato's 3-part psyche:
The human is
The {{c1::Rational}} Part
|
Greek for Plato's human part of the 3-part psyche
{{c1::Logistikon}}
|
Greek:
Many-headed monster - {{c1::Epithymetikon}}
Lion - {{c1::Thomos}}
Human - {{c1::Logistikon}}
|
The human part of Plato's 3-part psyche:
Its function is not just to be clever, but to
{{c1::guide the entire system towards what is good and real in the long term}}
|
Where Plato's 3-part psyche comes from
{{c1::The Republic}}
|
Additional metaphor used by Plato re: the soul
{{c1::A charioteer (Reason)
driving two winged horses}}
|
Plato's 2 horses:
{{c1::Noble & white = the spirited thymos
Unruly & black = the appetitive monster}}
|
To Plato,
The charioteer's lifelong struggle is
{{c1::to get the two horses to work together to ascend towards the truth.}}
2025-07-15
Chapter 3, round 2 (manual flashcards)
{{c1::Triangles}}
are considered the molecules of an emotional system
|
Cause of instability of a 2-person system and why a third person helps
{{c1::Growing tension -> third person is sympathetic}}
|
Why well-differentiated people manage the closeness-distance dilemma
more effectively than poorly differentiated people
{{c1::Well-differentiated people
are better at rising above their reactions
and remaining present,
even in an anxious system}}
|
Why Bowen theory says that a triangle is a "solution"
{{c1::Because someone pays a price
Two people gain at the expense of a third}}
Chapter 4, round 2 (manual flashcards)
Got up to page 60
Bowen quote:
We live our lives in
{{c1::networks of emotional forces
that follow triangle patterns}}
|
{{c2::Cause and-effect thinking}}
is the principal obstacle to seeing
{{c1::the patterns of emotional functioning}}
that Bowen theory describes.
|
There are (count) {{c2::4}}
{{c1::patterns of interaction}}
in Bowen theory
|
In Bowen theory,
The {{c1::patterns of interaction}}
are the key variables for explaining
{{c2::which family member develops clinical symptoms}}
|
Obvious turmoil in family system:
People assume that
{{c1::the turmoil results from
distress about the symptomatic person's impaired functioning}}
This is a half-truth
The other half is
{{c1::The role of the relationship system
in creating and maintaining the impaired functioning}}
|
Bowen liked to say,
"The way to prevent schizophrenia
{{c1::is to try to create it}}"
|
Bowen's point re: "the way to prevent schizophrenia"
{{c1::Parents are anxiously trying their best _not_ to create it
And this anxiety harms the child}}
|
Two examples of "functioning positions" in Bowen theory:
{{c1::
Inside vs outside the triangle
Overfunctioning vs underfunctioning in dyad}}
|
(Re: family systems)
The denouement of one's efforts is
{{c1::to use the propositional & perspectival knowledge gained
to guide changes in one's actions
such that they are constructive for self and for others (participatory knowledge)}}
|
Bowen theory's main point is that
{{c1::
marital conflict,
dysfunction in one spouse,
and transmission of the problem to one or more children
are all expressions of the same thing}}
{{c2::undifferentiation
and associated chronic anxiety
in the nuclear family system}}
|
Bowen theory's main point is that
{{c1::
marital conflict,
dysfunction in one spouse,
and transmission of the problem to one or more children
are all expressions of the same thing:
undifferentiation
and associated chronic anxiety
in the nuclear family system}}
|
(Bowen)
The four patterns of emotional functioning:
{{c1::Dominant-Adaptive (Deferential) Interactions}}
{{c2::Emotional Conflict}}
{{c3::Triangles (originally "impairment of a child")}}
{{c4::Emotional distance}}
|
(Bowen)
The four patterns of emotional functioning:
{{c1::Dominant-Adaptive (Deferential) Interactions}}
{{c1::Emotional Conflict}}
{{c2::Triangles (originally "impairment of a child")}}
{{c2::Emotional distance}}
|
(Bowen)
The four patterns of emotional functioning:
{{c1::Dominant-Adaptive (Deferential) Interactions}}
{{c1::Emotional Conflict}}
{{c1::Triangles (originally "impairment of a child")}}
{{c1::Emotional distance}}
|
The 4 emotional patterns in Bowen's theory function to
{{c1::control the intensity of emotional fusion in relationships}}
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What is Kerr talking about when he says "emotional fusion"
{{c1::A state of intense emotional interdependence
where the boundaries between individuals become blurred}}
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You can be emotionally distanced despite physical proximity, e.g.:
Avoiding potentially emotionally charged topics.
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Emotional distance and bound anxiety:
{{c1::The anxiety is bound in the avoiding emotionally charged topics}}
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A way of describing the binding of anxiety is that
{{c1::the anxiety is integrated into the structure of a relationship}}
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On many occasions, Bowen stated:
"If I had to reduce my theory to one basic idea, it would be that
{{c1::it explains how two people can begin their relationship very close,
but become increasingly distant over time}}"
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According to Bowen theory, you can learn to regain a mature closeness by
{{c1::understanding how each person's immaturity undermined it
and then applying that knowledge to change one's part in the process}}
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As a result of reading
{{c1::Sociobiology: The New Synthesis}}
Michael Kerr modernised some of Bowen's terminology
|
Michael Kerr modernised
{{c1::Marital conflict}}
to
{{c2::Emotional conflict}}
|
Michael Kerr modernised
{{c1::Dysfunction in one spouse}}
to
{{c2::dominant-adaptive (deferential) interactions}}
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The one of the four patterns of emotional functioning
that Michael Kerr modernised into a mouthful
{{c1::Dominant-adaptive (deferential) interactions}}
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Why Michael Kerr found {{c1::Sociobiology: A New Synthesis}} to be relevant
{{c2::The studies of the social groups of a wide range of species described in the book
reveal the existence of close parallels
between the patterns of emotional functioning that Bowen theory describes
and similar patterns in other species}}
|
Michael Kerr modernised
{{c1::Transmission to one or more children}}
to
{{c2::Triangles}}
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Of the 4 patterns of emotional functioning
Which did Kerr not rename?
{{c1::Emotional distance}}
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In a dyad,
The {{c2::adaptive}} or {{c2::deferential}} one is
(specific)
{{c1::the person making the most behavioral changes
in an attempt to maintain harmony
in the relationship}}
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In a dominant-adaptive interaction
It's not always the case that the overfunctioner is the dominant partner
{{c1::The overfunctioner may be adapting disproportionately in the relationship
under pressure from the underfunctioner}}
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Why triangles are of central importance in Bowen theory
{{c1::Because they show how relationships are interlinked}}
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A diagram that shows all 4 Bowen emotional patterns:
{{c1::(Screenshot from pdf page 55)}}
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Kerr:
"It is important to note that
{{c1::dominant-adaptive (deferential)}} interactions
are very common when the conspecifics of many species are living in
proximity.
They are {{c2::the emotional basis of social hierarchies}}
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What the dominant-adaptive (deferential) diagram looks like:
{{c1::(Screenshot from page 57}}
|
An {{c1::overfunctioning-underfunctioning}} reciprocity
is anxiety-driven,
whereas
{{c1::role differentiation}}
is reality-driven
|
Role differentiation in a family:
{{c1::People taking on specialized tasks
that render a family or social system more functional and adaptive}}
|
Example of anxiety-driven overfunctioning-underfunctioning:
{{c1::Male feels calmer when he's in charge
Female feels calmer at not having to be primary decision maker}}
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Example of overfunctioner disproportionately carrying family anxiety
{{c1::Having to work hard to meet perceived expectations of others
The families often seemed heavily dependent on these people}}
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Re: overfunctioners carrying family anxiety
"The overfunctioners looked dominant,
but these were cases of the overfunctioners being
pinned down in the one-up position}}
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The person most vulnerable to dysfunction
in a dominant-adaptive (deferential) patten is
{{c1::the one making the most internal adjustments in functioning
to preserve harmony}}