Chapter 2
Multiple Choice
1. Which one of the following statements about family communication is not correct?
a. From a systems perspective, it is not productive to analyze each family member
separately.
b. A systems perspective and a transactional approach to understanding family
communication oppose each other.
c. Families with strong external boundaries tend to value privacy.
d. As two or more family members interact, they create a context for one another and
relate to one another in that context.
2. Using the circumplex model, families can be plotted along both the adaptability and cohesion
axis. Which statement is correct?
a. Young couples function best in the center of the two dimensions of cohesion and
adaptability.
b. Adolescents function best when they have average cohesion and adaptability, midway
between rigidity and chaos.
c. Older couples like it best when adaptability is high and cohesion is low.
d. Ethnic families do not fit this model because they adapt and bond by different
processes.
3. Which of the following is not a supporting or secondary family function?
a. Developing agreement about family images
b. Developing modes of interaction into family themes
c. Finding ways to deal with biosocial issues, such as gender, age, and power
d. Finding means to provide financial and emotional support to all members
4. Which one of the following is not one of the three essential dimensions in Olson et al.’s
circumplex model?
a. Distance regulation
b. Adaptability
c. Communication
d. Cohesion
5. The way in which a family changes its relationship rules, power structure, and role expectancies
in response to either normal developmental changes or crises relates to its:
a. Adaptability
b. Cohesion
c. Organizational structure
d. Family members’ belief system
6. The finding that both mothers and fathers regard sexual infidelity as more distressing when
committed by a daughter-in-law than by a son-in-law is an example of which of the following
concepts?
a. Gendered familial expectations
b. Gendered family themes
c. Gendered family identity
d. Rigid boundaries
7. Genograms can be useful for studying family communication patterns because
a. They identify hierarchies in families
b. They identify social, biological and psychological issues and relationships among
multiple generations
c. They identify communication boundaries among family subunits
d. They identify changes in relational development among family members over time
8. Research demonstrates that families often have bidirectional interpersonal patterns. This
means:
a. Parents are not always in control of their children
b. Children tend to have a love-hate relationship with their parents
c. Parents and children influence each other’s behaviors
d. Children struggle with different dialectical tensions with their parents as they get older
9. Michael and Molly have been dating for a few years and are thinking about getting engaged.
They love each other, but Molly is very concerned that they struggle too much with some
communication issues. Michael is from a big, loud Italian family and tends to be very
communicatively open and occasionally confrontational with Molly. Molly is from a small
Norwegian family and feels really uncomfortable with conflict. She’s not sure if she can spend
her life in a family of people who are as loud and conflictual as Michael’s. Michael, in turn,
complains that she and her family are too passive aggressive and wishes they could be more
“open” and “express themselves.” Michael and Molly’s communication problem can best be
described by which of the following terms?
a. Dialectical tensions
b. Biosocial conflicts
c. Family theme differences
d. Ethnic family issues
10. Metacommunication occurs when:
a. People communicate about communication
b. People misunderstand one another
c. People communicate across cultures
d. People communicate about trivial matters
11. “Single dad Craig is trying to decide how to talk with his adolescent daughter about going
through puberty. He feels uncomfortable talking with her about taboo issues, but knows that he
should. Which secondary characteristic is Craig managing?”
a. Images
b. Boundaries
c. Themes
d. Biosocial issues
12. “The Ramirez family is very traditional. They celebrate traditional Mexican holidays and strictly
observe Catholic holidays/holy days as well. They assume very traditional gender roles and
expect strict and complete obedience from their children, without question. According to the
Circumplex Model, which level of adaptability does the Ramirez family demonstrate?”
a. Chaotic
b. Flexible
c. Structured
d. Rigid
13. The Johannes family experiences very high levels of closeness, and each member exhibits very
little individuality. They also operate under a very strict rule system, and Mr. Johannes (the
father) makes all decisions in the family with no discussion. Considering the two primary family
functions, how would you label this family?
a. Connected and chaotic
b. Enmeshed and rigid
c. Enmeshed and disengaged
d. Connected and structured
14. In Joe’s family, his mother sees herself as a protector, but he sees her as a babysitter. They have
established conflicting or asynchronous _________________.
a. Boundaries
b. Images
c. Reflections
d. Roles
15. The family or families in which a person was raised is called:
a. Natural family
b. Family-of-origin
c. Nuclear family
d. First family
Answer Key
Quiz True False
1. Families with extremely high cohesion are referred to as nonconflictual.
a. True
b. False
2. Family meanings develop over time and have a common symbolic basis.
a. True
b. False
3. Families are defined through their interactions more than through their structure.
a. True
b. False
4. Transactional communication means persons have a mutual impact upon each other.
a. True
b. False
5. Families do not tend to shift on the cohesion/adaptability axis as children age.
a. True
b. False
6. Most individuals develop communication skills within the family context.
a. True
b. False
7. A family theme is a mental picture of what is expected in the behavior of family members. For
example, Mother is a “proud hen.”
a. True
b. False
8. “Men should buy the family cars and work full time” is an example of a biosocial belief.
a. True
b. False
9. As people become closer and more familiar with one another, their communication becomes
more static and does not change very much on a day–to-day basis.
a. True
b. False
10. It is reasonable to assume that when two people witness or experience the same event, they
will perceive and assign meaning to the event in the same way based upon a shared reality.
a. True
b. False
Answer Key
Chapter 2:
Using your own life, or the life of someone you know well, describe how a family theme has played out
in a significant way in that family. Include some discussion of how members’ communication patterns
have been influenced by that theme.
Imagine a stressor such as divorce, serious illness, or death impacting a family. Detail how the same
stressor could send a family to two different extremes on the cohesion/adaptability axis. (i.e. to a point of
being rigid and disengaged or to a point of being enmeshed and chaotic).
Research indicates that family communication patterns tend to be passed down from generation to
generation (i.e., people tend to communicate similarly to their parents and grandparents). Discuss two
distinct reasons that may explain why this trend occurs, using specific examples from your own family or
another family you know well to support your claims.
What do you think makes a family functional? First, support your argument using the primary and
secondary functions of the Circumplex Model. Be sure to specifically explain and then apply each of the
primary and secondary functions. Second, how does your conceptualization of “functional” compare to
the understanding of “functional” in the Circumplex Model?