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Research on Family Interaction I: Static and Dynamic Models
Author(s) -
TAYLOR WILLIAM R.
Publication year - 1970
Publication title -
family process
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.011
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1545-5300
pISSN - 0014-7370
DOI - 10.1111/j.1545-5300.1970.00221.x
Subject(s) - parallels , relevance (law) , balance theory , computer science , psychology , process (computing) , markov chain , markov process , sequence (biology) , measure (data warehouse) , theoretical computer science , cognitive psychology , social psychology , machine learning , mathematics , data mining , engineering , statistics , political science , law , operating system , mechanical engineering , biology , genetics
A static and dynamic model of family structure are presented and illustrated in clinical application to a pilot study. The basic measure is a content‐free assessment of the sequence of states of interaction in family sessions. Using Markov process concepts, certain parallels between the behavioral variables (state transitions) and the more abstract clinical concepts of family structure can be identified. By subsuming the latter structural concepts under a framework of “balance theory” (Heider; Cartwright and Harary) considerable reduction in complexity is achieved without sacrificing clinical relevance. Still to be explored are the applications to the study of therapist‐family interaction and of treatment‐related changes in structural and behavioral measures.