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Family Systems Theory Quiz

Test Questions: Multiple Choice/Fill In

1. What are the Initial Considerations of the Systems Theories?

a. Its function is to focus the attention on the diverse systems in which any complex
living entity participates.
b. Systems are organized wholes comprised of component parts that interact in a
distinct way over time.
c. It was especially important in social work because it allowed movement out of an
essential medical and linear model of causation.
d. The emphasis is on the complex and diverse factors that can influence any specific
behavior.
e. All of the above

2. What are the Basic Assumptions of the Systems Theory?

a. A social system is made up of individuals, interrelated to constitute a whole.

b. The limits of a social system are not defined by established or arbitrary boundaries

c. Boundaries give a social system its focus and identity as distinct from other social
systems with which it interacts

d. A social system is not a network of unique, interlocking relationships with

identifiable structural and communications patterns.

e. There is a high degree of organization and interdependence among members of a

social system.

f. There is interdependence and interaction between and among social systems.

g. A social system is adaptive and goal oriented or purposive

h. A change in one member of the social system affects the nature of the social system
as a whole

i. Change from within or outside a social system that moves the system to an
imbalanced state will result in an attempt by the system to reestablish that balance
(homeostasis)

j. All the above

k. All the above except b and d

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3. Who is the developmental psychologist who described the contexts of development as an

“exosystem”?
a. Vygotsky
b. Piaget
c. Bronfenbrenner
d. Bowen

4. The Nested systems consist of?

a. Microsystem
b. Mesosystem
c. Exosystem
d. Macrosystem
e. Chronosystem
f. Only A and B
g. All of the above

5. What does the Microsystem consist of?

a. Family
b. City Mayor
c. School
d. Peer group
e. All the above except b

6. What roles does the microsystem play in the life of a child?

a. Is person regarded positively?
b. Is the person accepted?
c. Reinforced for competent behavior?
d. Exposed to enough diversity in roles and relationships?
e. Active role in reciprocal relationships?
f. All the above

7. What are some Issues that can come up between mesosystems?

a. Do settings respect each other?
b. Do settings present basic consistency in values?
c. Do settings contradict accepted norms?
d. Do settings vote the same?
e. All the above
f. All the above except d

8. Exosystems consist of: Settings in which person does not participate but still experiences
decisions and events that affect him or her indirectly, these include:
a. medical system,
b. local school board,
c. local government,
d. parent or spouse’s workplace
e. All the above
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9. What are some Issues which could arise between the systems?
a. Whether or not values are consistent throughout the systems and how decisions made
by individuals with power will directly effect those within them.

10. The Chronosystem system consists of all of the experiences that a person has had during
his or her lifetime, these include:
a. environmental events,
b. your neighbor
c. major life transitions
d. historical events
e. civil rights movement
f. All the above except b
g. All the above

11. List some examples of Chronosystems changes in a person’s life?

a. National tragedy, economic recession, divorce, remarriage, birth of a relative,
obtaining a degree or graduating a program, career change.

12. The transformational theory consists of:

a. Family
b. It is the nature of a family that its members are intensely connected emotionally
c. Often people feel distant or disconnected from their families, but this is more feeling
than fact.
d. Family members so profoundly affect each other's thoughts, feelings, and actions that
it often seems as if people are living under the same "emotional skin."
e. People solicit each other's attention, approval, and support and react to each other's
needs, expectations, and distress.
f. The connectedness and reactivity make the functioning of family members
interdependent.
g. A change in one person's functioning is predictably followed by reciprocal changes
in the functioning of others.
h. Families differ somewhat in the degree of interdependence, but it is always present
to some degree.
i. All the above

13. What are some of the basics elements of the family system?
a. Each action or change affects every other person in the family.
b. The family structure has elements that can only be seen in its interactions.
c. Family Roles: Patterns of interaction become ingrained habits that make change
difficult.
d. Family Rules: Each family has certain rules that are self-regulating and peculiar to
itself. The family is a purposeful system; it has a goal. Usually the goal is to remain
intact as a family.
e. Boundaries: For families to function well, subsystems must maintain boundaries.
f. Adaptation: Despite resistance to change each family system constantly adapts to
maintain itself in response to its members and environment.
g. Systems change through the family life cycle. Changes in family systems are caused
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by both nominative (predictable life cycle changes) and non-normative (crisis)

stresses.
h. Families systems are easy to change
i. All the above except h

14. Demographics of Immigrant Students lives consist of:

a. Living in segregated, low-income communities.
b. Parents who participate in seasonal work, affecting their consistent school
participation.
c. The need for the support of English language development programs.
d. Immigrant parents who do not support the education of their children.
e. All the above except d
f. All the above
15. What is the good news about reflection regarding family systems?

a. Systems are self reflective which allows for healthy change when a person sets a

goal for themself to not have unhealthy patterns repeat (like alcoholism for example).

16. List some changes in families since the 1950’s

a. Two parent families are no longer the only acceptable means of having a family.

More than that, if there is a two parent family, it is socially acceptable for the mother

to work as well.

17. List some Tips for Teaching Immigrant/Diverse Students:

a. Don’t make assumptions about whether or not both parents have consistent work, or
whether or not the student is also a breadwinner of the house. Do not make
assumptions about the economic status of the student either as the parents may not be
struggling, or what they perceive to be struggling. Always ask which language they
prefer to use, as they may wish to practice their own English with you even if they
are better at Spanish.

II. True /False Statements circle the correct answer:

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1. Systems Theories is considered a high level abstraction “a working hypothesis, the main

function of which is to provide a theoretical model for explaining, predicting, and

controlling phenomenon.” T F

2. Systems Theories is considered revolutionary because it emphasizes the interrelatedness

and mutual interdependence of systems elements. T F

3. Ecological systems theory: A person’s development is influenced by five interactive and

overlapping contextual levels? T F

4. Family systems operate much like a mobile? T F

5. People can be understood in isolation from one another. T F

6. To understand the individual, one must understand their family system. T F

7. A workgroup or a collection of friends can be a family system. T F

8. Roles do not determine what is expected in a family. T F

9. Few variables impact a student’s future more than class. T F

10. Compared to most industrialized countries, the United States has the lowest gap

between high and low wages. T F

11. Families in poverty are disproportionately headed by single mothers, and are also often

socially isolated. T F

12. Homelessness has decreased in recent years. T F

13. Language is a critical tool in the development of identity, self-awareness, and

intellectual and psychological growth. T F

14. The rate of increase of non-English speakers is greater than the overall rate of

population growth. T F

15. Language use is not culturally determined. T F

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16. Western society places value on time (saved, lost, or wasted). The Lakota Sioux have

no words for “late” or “waiting.” T F

17. For effective communication to take place, enough cultural similarities must exist for

the receiver to understand the message. T F