In clinical work with families suffering from eating disorders, SYMLOG allowed us to document family interactional and perceptual processes and to make them accessible for therapeutic purposes and evaluations. For a group of 26 families with a daughter afflicted with anorexia, our SYMLOG findings suggest that a decision vacuum exists. These findings confirm the descriptive resultsfirom clinicalpractice. They further confirm that the parents' incorrect mutual perceptions have an effect on the daughter's perceptions.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Bales, R. F. , & Cohen S. P. (1979). SYMLOG: A system for the multiple level observation of groups. New York: Free Press.
2.
Bales, R. F. , Koenigs, R. J., & Roman, P. D. (1987). Criteria for adaption of SYMLOG rating items to particular populations and cultural contexts. International Journal of Small Group Research, 3(2), 161-179.
3.
Bateson, G. (1972). Steps to an ecology of mind: Collected essays in anthropology, psychiatry, evolution and epistemology. San Francisco: Chandler.
4.
Becker-Beck, U., & Schneider, J. F. (1988). Untersuchungen zur psychometrischen Qualitat des SYMLOG-Beurteilungsbogens zum Sozialverhalten, Form D2. Arbeiten der Fachrichtung Psychologie der Universitat des Saarlandes, Saarbrucken.
5.
Bennun, I. (1986). Evaluating family therapy: A comparison of the Milan and problem solving approaches. Journal of Family Therapy, 8, 225-242.
6.
Framo, J. L. (1975). Systematische Erforschung der Familiendynamik. In F. Boszormenyi-Nagyi (Ed.), Familientherapie 2. Reinbeck: Rowohlt.
7.
Gurman, A. S. (1983). Family therapy research and the "new epistemology."Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 9, 227-234.
8.
Gurman, A. S. , & Kniskern, D. P. (1981). Family therapy outcome research: Knowns and unknowns. In A. S. Gurman & D. P. Kniskem (Eds.), Handbook offamily therapy. New York: Brunner/Mazel.
9.
Hazelrigg, M. D. , Cooper, H. M., & Borduin C. M. (1987). Evaluating the effectiveness of family therapy: An integrative review and analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 101, 428-442.
10.
Heekerens, H. P. (1990). Familientherapie bei Problemen von Kindem und Jugendlichen: Eine sekundare Evaluation der Effektivitatsstudien. System Familie, 3, 1-10.
11.
Heekerens, H. P. (1988). Systemische Familientherapie auf dem Prufstand. Zeitschrift far Klinische Psychologie, 2, 93-105.
12.
Hoffman, L. (1981). Foundations offamily therapy. New York: Basic Books.
13.
Jantschek, R., Jantschek, I., Wietersheim, J., Dreves, C., Drossard, J., Kroger, F., Petzold, E., & Becker, S. (1989). Familienuntersuchungen bei chronisch entzundlichen Darmkrankheiten. In H. Speidel (Ed.), Zukunftsaufgaben der psychosomatischen Medizin. Berlin: Springer.
14.
Kniskern, D. P. (1983). The new wave is all wet. Family Therapy Networker, 7, 60-62.
15.
Kniskem, D. P. (1985). Climbing out of the pit: Further guidelines for family therapy research. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 11, 159-162.
16.
Kog, E. , Vertommen, H., & Vandereycken, W. (1987). Minuchin's psychosomatic family model revised: A concept-validation study using a multi-trait multi-method approach. Family Process, 26, 235-253.
17.
Kroger, F., Drinkmann, A., Schneider, J., & Petzold, E. (1988). SYMLOG: Eine Moglichkeit zur Selbst-und Fremdbeschreibung von Familien: Erste Erfahrungen und Validierungen. In W. Schuffel (Ed.), Sich gesundftihlen im Jahr 2000. Heidelberg: Springer.
18.
Kroger, F. , Drinkmann, A., Schneider, J., Schmidt-Rinke, M., & Petzold, E. (1990). Family diagnosis: Standardized methods and systemic therapy: SYMLOG as an attempt of bridging. German Journal of Psychology, 14, 253-254.
19.
Kutner, S. S. , & Kirsch, R. D. (1985). Clinical applications of SYMLOG: A graphic system of observing relations. Social Work30, 497-593.
20.
Merlo, M. & Ortuno, F. (1989). A SYMLOG-study of families with psychotic member. Anales de Psiguiatria, 5, 44-44.
21.
Minuchin, S. , Rosemann, B. L., & Baker, H. (1978). Psychosomatic families in context. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
22.
Moos, R. H. , & Moos, B. S. (1981). Family environment scale manual. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychology Press.
23.
Olson, D. H. , Sprenkle, D. H., & Russell, C. S. (1979). Circumplex model of marital and family systems: I. Cohesion and adaptability dimensions, family types, and clinical applications. Family Process, 18, 3-28.
24.
Orlik, P. (1989). SYMLOG-Wieder ein "new look", der in die Jahre kommt? Oder: Der lange Weg zur theoriegeleiteten Beobachtung in der Kleingruppenforschung. Arbeiten der Fachrichtung Psychologie der Universitat des Saarlandes, No. 134. Saarbrucken.
25.
Osgood, C. E. , Suci, G. J., & Tannenbaum, P. H. (1957). The measurement of meaning. Urbana: University of Illinois Press.
26.
Polley, R. B. (1986). Rethinking the third dimension. International Journal of Small Group Research, 2, 134-140.
27.
Russell, G.F.M. , Szmukler, G. I., Dare, C., & Eisler, I. (1987). An evaluation of family therapy in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Archives of General Psychiatry, 44, 1047-1056.
28.
Schneider, J. F., & Zimmer, H. D. (1978). Zur faktoriellen Validitat einer deutschen Bearbeitung des SYMLOG Adjective Rating Sheet. Arbeiten der Fachrichtung Psychologie der Universitdt des Saarlandes, Saarbriicken.
29.
Selvini-Palazzoli, M. , Boscolo, L., Cecchin, G., & Prata, G. (1978). Paradox and counterparadox. New York: Aronson.
30.
Simon, F. B. (1984). Warum es so schwerfallt, "gut" und "b6se", "aktiv" und "passiv", "stark" und "schwach" zu unterscheiden. Familiendynamik, 9, 339-353.
31.
Simon, F. B. , & Schmidt, G. (1984). The powerlessness of circular thought. Family Therapy News, 8-8.
32.
Simon, F., & Stierlin, H. (1984). Die Sprache derFamilientherapie: Ein Vokabular. Stuttgart: Klett-Cotta.
33.
Skinner, H. A. (1987). Self-report instruments for family assessment. In T. Jacob (Ed.), Family interaction and psychopathology. New York: Plenum.
34.
Wegener, B. (1983). Wer Skaliert? Die MeBfehler-Testtheorie und die Frage nach dem Akteur. In J. Allmendinger, P. Schmidt, & B. Wegener (Eds.), ZUMA-Handbuch sozialwissenschaftlicher. Skalen: TEl-TE-110, Mannheim: Informationszentrum Sozialwissenschaften.
35.
Wynne, L. C. (Ed.). (1988). The state of the art in family therapy research: Controversies and recommendations. New York: Family Process.
