Cohesion and adaptability in the families of schizophrenic and normal adolescents: A study of the circumplex model of family systems

Abstract

ABSTRACT The main purpose of the present study was to investigate the cross-cultural applicability of the circumplex model of family functioning based on the dimensions of cohesion and adaptability, developed by Olson et al. (1979). More specifically, the aim was to assess whether extreme levels of cohesion and adaptability were related to problematic family functioning, while balanced levels were associated with healthy family functioning. To that end, a sample of schizophrenic families and a matched control sample of normal families were administered FACES III, a scale which operational i zes the cohesion and adaptability dimensions of the circumplex model of families. It was hypothesized that, on the cohesion dimension, there would be no significant differences in the number of clinical and nonclinical families which functioned at the upper extremes, while significantly more clinical than nonclinical families were expected to fall into the lower extremes. As regards adaptability, it was hypothesized that there would be no significant differences in the number of clinical and nonclinical families which functioned at the lower extremes, while significantly more clinical than nonclinical families were expected to fall into the upper extremes. The findings revealed a lack of variation in the cohesion levels of the clinical and nonclinical groups, indicating that cohesion is not a discriminatory factor in distinguishing between pathology andnormality in Turkish -Families. On the adaptability dimension, the results showed that clinical ?families were significantly more rigid, whereas nonclinical -Families tended to be -Flexible. Thus, while the relationship of cohesion to pathology is questionable, such a relationship seems to be -Found in case of the adaptability dimension. The implications of the study were discussed.