Additional Assessment Models

CIRCUMPLEX MODEL

Measures levels of cohesion and flexibility/adaptability within families

• Cohesion: The emotional closeness among members of a family
  • 4 levels of cohesion
    • Disengaged (very low)
    • Separated (low to moderate)
    • Connected (moderate to high)
    • Enmeshed (very high/insufficient independence)
  • 4 criteria are used to measure cohesion
    • I-We Balance
    • Closeness
    • Loyalty
    • Independence

• Flexibility: Measure of adaptability in a family’s roles and rules.
  • 4 levels of flexibility
    • Rigid (very low/limited negotiation/strictly defined roles)
    • Structured (low to moderate)
    • Flexible (moderate to high)
    • Chaotic (very high/limited or erratic leadership/rules are unclear)
  • 4 criteria used to measure flexibility
    • Leadership (control and discipline)
    • Negotiation styles
    • Role relationships
    • Relationship rules

• Communication, although not directly depicted in the Circumplex Family Map, is measured by using FACES (Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale). FACES considers:
  • Listening skills
  • Speaking skills
  • Self-disclosure
  • Clarity
  • Continuity
  • Respect
  • Regard

BEAVERS-TIMBERLAWN MODEL

Measures dimensions of competence and interactional style of a family’s functioning

Two dimensions of family patterns:

• Competence Dimension
• • 4 levels of competence
    • Healthy (optimal/adequate)
    • Mid-range
    • Borderline
    • Severely dysfunctional (inflexible, poor boundaries, confused communication)

• Stylistic Dimension
  • 3 levels of style
    • Centripetal
      • Seeks gratification within family
      • Less trustful of outside world
      • Negative feelings about family are suppressed

• • • Centrifugal
      • Seeks gratification outside family
      • Trustful of outside world
      • Reluctant to be overly positive about family

• • • Mixed
      • Contains elements of centripetal and centrifugal