Psychological Explanations: Family Systems Theory
Psychology: AQA A Level, topic 13.1.6
Family Systems Theory and Anorexia Nervosa
The family systems theory was proposed by Minuchin et al. (1978). The theory states that individuals who develop AN display the following characteristics:
Enmeshment
- When family members are very emotionally connected and do not have boundaries between their roles, this is described as enmeshment.
- This can mean that a child is unable to develop their own self-concept because lines between the roles within the family are blurred. As such, they cannot distinguish themselves from the wider family identity.
- This, in turn, can prevent children from developing skills needed to deal with the social stressors of everyday life.
Overprotectiveness
- In an overprotective family, there is a heightened concern for the welfare of other family members. As such, parents can become very controlling in a bid to protect their children.
- This, along with enmeshment, means that children do not become autonomous and cannot develop and individual identity.
- People with AN may be seeking to take back some of this control by refusing to eat.
Rigidity
- Inflexibility in adapting to new and challenging situations can be detrimental to the family system.
- Families that hold strict beliefs and are intensely loyal to each other will struggle in the face of stress because they refuse to explore alternative answers.
- This can be presented as very controlling when a child wants to explore their individuality against the parent’s wishes. So the diet restriction seen in teenage AN sufferers may be an attempt to regain control from parents.
Evaluation of Family Systems Theory and Anorexia Nervosa
The family systems theory was proposed by Minuchin et al. (1978).
Pros of theory - Kramer (1983)
- There has been some empirical support for the family systems theory.
- Kramer (1983) found that individuals with eating disorders showed higher levels of dysfunction in their families compared to controls with normal eating behaviours.
Cons of theory - blame
- Some have argued that the theory tries to blame parents and families for their adolescent’s AN, and that this is not helpful in their recovery.
- This is particularly strong in relation to mother-daughter relationships.
- There are cases of AN when individuals are no longer in a home environment and do not have close connections with their families. So this cannot explain the whole causal picture.
Cons - inconsistent research
- Research looking into specific characteristics of the families of people with AN have produced inconsistent findings.
- Because family relationships are extremely complex, it is likely that this theory is an oversimplification.
Test yourself on Psychological Explanations: Family Systems Theory
Who proposed the family systems theory and when?
Which of these are true of overprotective families?
Which psychologist found empirical evidence supporting the family systems theory?