General Systems

Homeostasis

refers to the unique set of behavioral, emotional, and interactional norms that create stability for the family or other social group

Closed Systems

• Do not let a lot of information in 

• Ex: religious family does not let a lot of outside information in to protect religion 

  • Can have open input when connected to religious group

Open Systems

Tons of interactions with various individuals

Positive Feedback

escalating behavior that leads to a new homeostasis, which in this example might be physical violence, involving a parent who is rarely involved, or any other action that might lead to a new homeostasis.

Negative Feedback

• mechanisms kick in to try to bring things back to normal. 

  • For example, when a child’s behavior is outside the expected norm, a parent may yell or criticize in an attempt to get the child’s behavior back to acceptable parameters

Form of Communication

• Two people are in an intense relationship that has high survival value, Within this relationship, a message is given that is structured with: 

  • (a) a primary injunction (e.g., a request or order) and 

  • (b) a simultaneous secondary injunction that contradicts the first, usually at the metacommunication level. 

• The receiver of the contradictory injunctions has the sense that they cannot escape or step outside the cognitive frame of the contradictions, either by metacommunicating (e.g., commenting on the contradiction) or by withdrawing, without threatening the relationship. The receiver is made to feel “bad” or “mad” for even suggesting there is a discrepancy.

• No win situation 

  • “I want you to be more spontaneous”

    • May want to respond to request

    • Because they have been asked, they can have a freeze response

First Order Change

refers to when the system returns to its previous homeostasis after positive feedback

Second Order Change

when a system restructures its homeostasis in response to positive feedback and the rules that govern the system fundamentally shift