MFT Human Development and Family Life Cycle Flashcards

Attachment theory, originally developed by John Bowlby, proposes that early secure attachment primarily provides a child with:

Answer: A safe base for exploration and emotional regulation

Bowlby's attachment theory posits that a secure attachment to a caregiver gives the child a safe base from which to explore the world and develop emotional regulation.

Mary Ainsworth's 'Strange Situation' experiment identified which attachment pattern in children who showed distress during separation but were not easily comforted upon reunion?

Answer: Anxious-ambivalent (resistant) attachment

Anxious-ambivalent children become highly distressed during separation and display anger or passivity upon reunion, unable to be soothed by the caregiver.

According to the family life cycle model, the stage 'Families with Young Children' requires which primary adjustment?

Answer: Accepting new members into the family system

This stage requires the couple to shift their system to make space for children, adjusting roles and boundaries to accept new members.

Which theorist described adolescence as a period of 'identity vs. role confusion' involving the formation of a coherent sense of self?

Answer: Erik Erikson

Erikson assigned the identity vs. role confusion conflict to adolescence, where the primary task is developing a stable personal identity.

The term 'parentification' refers to a family dynamic in which:

Answer: A child takes on adult caregiving roles inappropriate for their developmental stage

Parentification occurs when a child is assigned emotional or instrumental caregiving responsibilities that belong developmentally to adult family members.

In Bowen Family Systems Theory, differentiation of self refers to:

Answer: Balancing intellectual and emotional functioning while remaining connected to others

Differentiation of self describes the capacity to maintain a clear sense of self and regulate emotions while staying meaningfully connected in relationships.