HECOL 313: Symbolic Interactionism, Family Development, Stress
Theory
1. Angell's Theory of Dealing with Stress: Families deal with stress better when they are Integrated (family unity and
financial interdependence) and Adaptable (flexible)
2. Roller-coaster profile of adjustment to crisis: A crisis phase is begins with a stress-provoking event, sending a
family into a period of disorganization. As families figure out how to handle the situation they enter the stage of recovery
and reach a new level of organization that may or may not be reflective of their prior organization
3. ABC-X model of family stress: The stressor (A), resources (B), and perception of the event (C), will or will not lead
to crisis (X).
4. Basic assumptions of the ABC-X Model: 1) stressors have individual charac- teristics that influence the degree to
which they effect a family (A)
2) access to resources impacts a families ability to deal with stress (B)
3) a families definition of the stressor impacts their ability to deal with it (C)
4) whether a family enters a crisis stage is dependent on the first 3 assumptions. (X)
5. Characteristics of Stressor Events (ST: A): 1) Discrete (singular)
2) neutral prior to interpretation
3) normative (occurs in all families in the short-term) or non-normative (unanticipated and has long-term impacts)
6. 8 criteria of stressor events: Decides the degree of impact a stressor event will have on a family
1) Internal or External
2) Individual or Familial impacts
3) Sudden or Gradual onset 4)Severity
5) Time of adjustment
6) expected or unexpected
7) natural (ie. fire) vs. artificial (ie. social construct)
8) solvability of the situation
7. Categories of Resources (ST: B): 1) Individual: coping skills, money, etc
2) Familial: emotional support, financial support
3) Community: counselling, social network, education
8. self-fulfilling prophecy: an expectation that causes you to act in ways that make that expectation come true.
9. Types of coping: 1) Direct action: focusing on the task at hand (task oriented)
2) Intrapsychic: reducing the intensity of a stressor by looking at it in a different way
3) controlling emotions: venting or attempting to numb pain which can be healthy or harmful
10.Bonadaptation: a positive result to a crisis
11.Maladaptation: an unhealthy or dysfunctional result to a crisis
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Theory
1. Angell's Theory of Dealing with Stress: Families deal with stress better when they are Integrated (family unity and
financial interdependence) and Adaptable (flexible)
2. Roller-coaster profile of adjustment to crisis: A crisis phase is begins with a stress-provoking event, sending a
family into a period of disorganization. As families figure out how to handle the situation they enter the stage of recovery
and reach a new level of organization that may or may not be reflective of their prior organization
3. ABC-X model of family stress: The stressor (A), resources (B), and perception of the event (C), will or will not lead
to crisis (X).
4. Basic assumptions of the ABC-X Model: 1) stressors have individual charac- teristics that influence the degree to
which they effect a family (A)
2) access to resources impacts a families ability to deal with stress (B)
3) a families definition of the stressor impacts their ability to deal with it (C)
4) whether a family enters a crisis stage is dependent on the first 3 assumptions. (X)
5. Characteristics of Stressor Events (ST: A): 1) Discrete (singular)
2) neutral prior to interpretation
3) normative (occurs in all families in the short-term) or non-normative (unanticipated and has long-term impacts)
6. 8 criteria of stressor events: Decides the degree of impact a stressor event will have on a family
1) Internal or External
2) Individual or Familial impacts
3) Sudden or Gradual onset 4)Severity
5) Time of adjustment
6) expected or unexpected
7) natural (ie. fire) vs. artificial (ie. social construct)
8) solvability of the situation
7. Categories of Resources (ST: B): 1) Individual: coping skills, money, etc
2) Familial: emotional support, financial support
3) Community: counselling, social network, education
8. self-fulfilling prophecy: an expectation that causes you to act in ways that make that expectation come true.
9. Types of coping: 1) Direct action: focusing on the task at hand (task oriented)
2) Intrapsychic: reducing the intensity of a stressor by looking at it in a different way
3) controlling emotions: venting or attempting to numb pain which can be healthy or harmful
10.Bonadaptation: a positive result to a crisis
11.Maladaptation: an unhealthy or dysfunctional result to a crisis
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