MFT Human Development and Family Life Cycle Flashcards

Which developmental stage, per Piaget, is characterized by the ability to think abstractly and reason about hypothetical situations?

Answer: Formal operational

The formal operational stage, beginning around age 12, involves abstract thinking, logical reasoning, and the ability to consider hypothetical scenarios.

The concept of 'individuation' in adolescence, as described by Margaret Mahler and later applied to family therapy, means:

Answer: Developing a distinct identity while maintaining family connection

Individuation involves the adolescent's process of developing a separate, autonomous identity while remaining emotionally connected to the family.

'Vertical stressors' in the Carter and McGoldrick family life cycle model refer to:

Answer: Patterns, myths, and legacies transmitted across generations

Vertical stressors are intergenerational transmissions — attitudes, beliefs, and patterns passed down through the family across generations.

A family in which the adult children have left home and the couple must renegotiate their relationship is in which family life cycle stage?

Answer: Launching children and moving on

The 'Launching Children and Moving On' stage requires the couple to re-establish their dyadic relationship and develop adult-to-adult relationships with their children.

Disorganized attachment in children is most commonly associated with:

Answer: Caregivers who are frightening or frightened, creating an unresolvable paradox

Disorganized attachment develops when the caregiver who should provide safety is simultaneously a source of fear, creating a biological paradox for the child.

According to Erikson, successful resolution of 'Integrity vs. Despair' in late adulthood results in:

Answer: A sense of wisdom and acceptance of one's life as meaningful

When elders successfully resolve this final stage, they achieve ego integrity — a sense of wisdom and acceptance that their life had meaning and worth.