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Chapter 2: Family Systems Theory
Multiple Choice
1. The theory based on family members’ impact on one another in a bidirectional way in
order to strive and maintain equilibrium is .
a. family member theory
b. family systems theory
c. divergent family theory
d. systems theory
Ans: B
Learning Objective: Define the major principles of family systems theory: subsystems,
boundaries, communication, adaptability/flexibility, cohesion, and circular causality.
Cognitive Domain: Knowledge
Answer Location: What Is Family Systems Theory?
Difficulty Level: Medium
7. What is the form of communication in which one conversation often leads to another
conversation within and without subsystems and in which subsystems may control or
monitor the flow of information from other subsystems?
Instructor Resource
McGinley, Parents and Families of With Students Special Needs
SAGE, 2018
a. circular communication
b. complex communication
c. dyadic communication
d. reciprocal communication
Ans: A
Learning Objective: Define the major principles of family systems theory: subsystems,
boundaries, communication, adaptability/flexibility, cohesion, and circular causality;
Apply principles of family systems theory to working with children with disabilities.
Cognitive Domain: Knowledge
Answer Location: Communication
Difficulty Level: Medium
True/False
1. The formation of a family and how the family changes throughout and across time
represents the climate cycle.
Ans: F
Instructor Resource
McGinley, Parents and Families of With Students Special Needs
SAGE, 2018
Learning Objective: Define the major principles of family systems theory: subsystems,
boundaries, communication, adaptability/flexibility, cohesion, and circular causality.
Cognitive Domain: Comprehension
Answer Location: The Family Life Cycle
Difficulty Level: Medium
2. Positively addressing these changes will strengthen the family unit and help the
family survive to endure future changes
Ans: T
Learning Objective: Apply principles of family systems theory to working with children
with disabilities; Discuss the role of culture in applying family systems theory.
Cognitive Domain: Application
Answer Location: Factors Impacting Family Systems
Difficulty Level: Medium
4. The communication styles and behavior patterns of families never reflect their culture.
Ans: F
Learning Objective: Discuss the role of culture in applying family systems theory.
Cognitive Domain: Comprehension
Answer Location: Culture, Race, and Ethnicity
Difficulty Level: Medium
5. Children with disabilities in foster care do not have longer stays in foster care than
children without disabilities.
Ans: F
Learning Objective: Discuss the role of culture in applying family systems theory.
Cognitive Domain: Comprehension
Answer Location: Spotlight on Children in Foster Care
Difficulty Level: Medium
Demon was the name given by the Greeks and Romans to certain
genii or spirits, who made themselves visible to men with the
intention of doing them either good or harm.
The Platonists made a distinction between their gods, or dei
majorum gentium; their demons, or those beings which were not
dissimilar in their general character to the good and evil angels of
Christian belief; and their heroes. The Jews and the early Christians
restricted the appellation of demons to beings of a malignant nature,
or to devils; and it is to the early opinions entertained by this people,
that the outlines of later systems of Demonology are to be traced.
“The tradition of the Jews concerning evil spirits are various; some
of them are founded on Scripture; some borrowed from the notions
of the pagans; some are fables of their own invention; and some are
allegories.” The demons of the Jews were considered either as the
distant progeny of Adam or of Eve, which had resulted from an
improper intercourse with supernatural beings, or of Cain. As this
doctrine, however, was extremely revolting to some few of the early
Christians, they maintained that demons were the souls of departed
human beings, who were still permitted to interfere in the affairs of
the earth, either to assist their friends or to persecute their enemies.
This doctrine, however, did not prevail.
An attempt was made about two centuries and a half ago to give, in
a condensed form, the various opinions entertained at an early
period of the Christian era, and during the middle ages, of the nature
of the demons of popular belief. We shall therefore lay this chapter
before our readers, which, being so comprehensive, and at the same
time so concise, requires no abridgment;—“I, for my own part, do
also thinke this argument about the nature and substance of devels
and spirits to be difficult, as I am persuaded that no one author hath
in anie certaine or perfect sort hitherto written thereof. In which
respect I can neither allow the ungodly and profane sects and
doctrines of the Sadduces and Perepateticks, who denie that there
are any spirits and devils at all; nor the fond and superstitious
treatises of Plato, Proctics, Plotenus, Porphyrie; nor yet the vaine and
absurd opinions of Psellus, Nider, Sprenger, Cumanus, Bodin,
Michæl, Andæas, James Mathæus, Laurentius, Ananias, Jamblicus,
&c.; who, with manie others, write so ridiculous lies in these matters,
as if they were babes fraied with bugges; some affirming that the
souls of the dead become spirits, the good to be angels, the bad to be
divels; some, that spirits or divels are onelie in this life; some, that
they are men; some that they are women; some that divels are of
such gender that they list themselves; some that they had no
beginning, nor shall have ending, as the Manechies maintain; some
that they are mortal and die, as Plutarch affirmeth of Pan; some that
they have no bodies at all, but receive bodies according to their
fantasies and imaginations; some that their bodies are given unto
them; some, that they make themselves. Some saie they are wind;
some that one of them begat another; some, that they were created of
the least part of the masse, whereof the earth was made; and some,
that they are substances between God and man, and that some of
them are terrestrial, some celestial, some waterie, some airie, some
fierie, some starrie, and some of each and every part of the elements;
and that they know our thoughts, and carrie our good works to God,
and praiers to God, and return his benefits back unto us, and that
they are to be worshipped; wherein they meete and agree jumpe with
the papists.”—“Againe, some saie, that they are meane between
terrestrial and celestial bodies, communicating part of each nature;
and that, although they be eternal, yet they are moved with
affections; and as there are birds in the aire, fishes in the water, and
worms in the earth, so in the fourth element, which is the fire, is the
habitation of spirits and devils.”—“Some saie they are onelie
imaginations in the mind of man. Tertullian saith they are birds, and
flie faster than anie fowle in the aire. Some saie that divels are not,
but when they are sent; and therefore are called evil angels. Some
think that the devil sendeth his angels abrode, and he himself
maketh his continual abode in hell, his mansion-place.”
In allusion to this subject a late writer remarks that “It was not,
however, until a much later period of Christianity, that more decided
doctrines relative to the origin and nature of demons was
established. These tenets involved certain very knotty points relative
to the fall of those angels, who, for disobedience, had forfeited their
high abode in heaven. The Gnostics, of early Christian times, in
imitation of a classification of the different orders of spirits by Plato
had attempted a similar arrangement with respect to an hierarchy of
angels, the gradation of which stood as follows:—The first, and
highest order, was named seraphim; the second, cherubim; the third
was the order of thrones; the fourth, of dominions; the fifth, of
virtues; the sixth, of powers; the seventh, of principalities; the eighth,
of archangels; the ninth, and lowest, of angels. This fable was, in a
pointed manner, censured by the apostles; yet still, strange to say, it
almost outlived the Pneumatologists of the middle ages. These
schoolmen, in reference to the account that Lucifer rebelled against
heaven, and that Michael the Archangel warred against him, long
agitated the momentous question, what orders of angels fell on this
occasion? At length it became the prevailing opinion that Lucifer was
of the order of seraphim. It was also proved, after infinite research,
that Agares, Belial, and Barbatos, each of them deposed angels of
great rank, had been of the order of virtues; that Bileth, Focalor, and
Phœnix, had been of the order of thrones; that Gaap had been of the
order of powers; and that Pinson had been both of the order of
virtues and powers; and Murmur of thrones and angels. The
pretensions of many other noble devils were, likewise, canvassed,
and in an equally satisfactory manner, determined. Afterwards, it
became an object of enquiry to learn, how many fallen angels had
been engaged in the contest. This was a question of vital importance,
which gave rise to the most laborious research, and to a variety of
discordant opinions.—It was next agitated—where the battle was
fought? in the inferior heaven,—in the highest region of the air, in
the firmament, or in paradise? how long it lasted? whether, during
one second, or moment of time, (punctum temporis) two, three, or
four seconds? These were queries of very difficult solution; but the
notion which ultimately prevailed was, that the engagement was
concluded in exactly three seconds from the date of its
commencement; and that while Lucifer, with a number of his
followers, fell into hell, the rest were left in the air to tempt man. A
still newer question arose out of all these investigations, whether
more angels fell with Lucifer, or remained in heaven with Michael?
Learned clerks, however, were inclined to think, that the rebel chief
had been beaten by a superior force, and that, consequently, devils of
darkness were fewer in number than angels of light.
“These discussions, which, during a number of successive
centuries, interested the whole of Christendom, too frequently
exercised the talents of the most erudite characters in Europe. The
last object of demonologists was to collect, in some degree of order,
Lucifer’s routed forces, and to re-organise them under a decided
form of subordination or government. Hence, extensive districts
were given to certain chiefs that fought under this general. There was
Zemimar, “the lordly monarch of the North,” as Shakspeare styles
him[53], who had this distinct province of devils; there was Gorson,
the king of the South; Amaymon, the king of the East; and Goap, the
prince of the West. These sovereigns had many noble spirits
subordinate to them, whose various ranks were settled with all the
preciseness of heraldic distinction; there were devil dukes, devil
marquises, devil earls, devil knights, devil presidents, and devil
prelates. The armed force under Lucifer seems to have comprised
nearly 2,400 legions, of which each demon of rank commanded a
certain number. Thus, Beleth, whom Scott has described as a “great
king and terrible, riding on a pale horse, before whom go trumpets
and all melodious music,” commanded 85 legions; Agarer, the first
duke under the power of the East, commanded 31 legions; Leraie, a
great marquis, 30 legions; Morax, a great earl and president, 36
legions; Furcas, a knight, 20 legions; and after the same manner, the
forces of the other devil chieftains were enumerated.”
Derivation of the strange and hideous forms
of Devils, &c.
In the middle ages, when conjuration was regularly practised in
Europe, devils of rank were supposed to appear under decided forms,
by which they were as well recognised, as the head of any ancient
family would be by his crest and armorial bearings. The shapes they
were accustomed to adopt were registered along with their names
and characters. A devil would appear, either like an angel seated in a
fiery chariot, or riding on an infernal dragon; and carrying in his
right hand a viper, or assuming a lion’s head, a goose’s feet, and a
hare’s tail, or putting on a raven’s head, and mounted on a strong
wolf. Other forms made use of by demons, were those of a fierce
warrior, or an old man riding upon a crocodile with a hawk in his
hand. A human figure would arise having the wings of a griffin; or
sporting three heads, two of them like those of a toad and of a cat; or
defended with huge teeth and horns, and armed with a sword; or
displaying a dog’s teeth, and a large raven’s head; or mounted upon a
pale horse, and exhibiting a serpent’s tail; or gloriously crowned, and
riding upon a dromedary; or presenting the face of a lion; or
bestriding a bear, and grasping a viper. There were also such shapes
as those of an archer, or of a Zenophilus. A demoniacal king would
ride upon a pale horse; or would assume a leopard’s face and griffin’s
wings; or put on the three heads of a bull, of a man, and a ram with a
serpent’s tail, and the feet of a goose; and, in this attire, sit on a
dragon, and bear in his hand a lance and a flag; or, instead of being
thus employed, goad the flanks of a furious bear, and carry in his fist
a hawk. Other forms were those of a goodly knight; or of one who
bore lance, ensigns, and even sceptre; or, of a soldier, either riding
on a black horse, and surrounded with a flame of fire; or wearing on
his head a Duke’s crown, and mounted on a crocodile; or assuming a
lion’s face, and with fiery eyes, spurring on a gigantic charger, or,
with the same frightful aspect, appearing in all the pomp of family
distinction, on a pale horse; or clad from head to foot in crimson