Biomedical subjects

W R Beavers

Publications and source records attributed to W R Beavers.

10 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1999

Marital therapy: qualities of couples who fare better or worse in treatment.

To evaluate the effectiveness of couples therapy and determine the characteristics and qualities of couples who fare best in treatment, 139 couples presenting at a nonlaboratory sliding-fee clinic in Dallas, Texas, were evaluated. Observational and self-report measures of the Beavers Systems Model were taken at the first session and, for some subjects, at termination. Therapists also rated the couples on goal attainment and on dimensions of the therapeutic alliance. Not surprisingly, there was a direct association between number of sessions and goal attainment, with couples attending only one or two sessions having the lowest goal attainment. There were also significant family functioning qualities associated with success: more competent couples fared better in therapy. Another consistent finding was that couples with no children did better in treatment than those who were also parents. It is interesting that remarried couples without children did best in treatment, followed by first-married couples with no children, first-married couples with children, and, finally, remarried couples with children. Implications for screening and clinical work with couples are presented.

Adult↗

PubMed1996

Measuring family therapy outcome in a clinical setting: families that do better or do worse in therapy.

This study examined several important family and therapist characteristics as they related to treatment success. A total of 434 families entering family therapy at a sliding-fee clinic in Dallas, Texas were rated (on the Beavers Interactional Competence and Style Scales), and completed several self-report family assessment instruments (Self-Report Family Inventory, FACES III) prior to beginning therapy. The therapists, trainees from various disciplines, had been trained in the Beavers Systems Model. Overall, 75% of the families showed at least some improvement. Those that fared best in therapy were more competent at the outset. While number of therapy sessions was associated with greater gains, there were some families that made great gains in fewer than six sessions. There were important demographic qualities that did not discriminate between greater- vs. lesser-gain families, including income level, ethnicity, therapist gender, and family size. A regression analysis indicated that functional rather than demographic variables were more important in predicting therapy outcome.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1987

Comparing males' and females' perspectives through family self-report.

The development of reliable and valid means of assessing family functioning has been the subject of much research and theory-centered debate in the past several years. Self-report family rating scales have the advantage of being able to be administered to large samples and being subjected to scaling, statistical analyses, and factoring procedures (Bloom 1985; Olson et al. 1983). Still, there may be influences on one's perception of his/her family functioning that are unique and often not accounted for in analyses of such self-report scales. One fundamental, yet minimally researched, factor is whether male and female respondents differ systematically in the weights attributed to different elements of family functioning.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1986

Coping in families with a retarded child.

The impact of a retarded child on a family has previously been described by individual family members' reports. This study of 40 families, 10 in each of four critical periods during the life of the retarded child, utilized videotaped interviews with whole families, with subsequent clinical observation and analysis based on the Beavers family assessment model. Healthy and problematic adaptations are delineated, with specific attention to systems concepts such as family structure and power, member individuation, feeling expression, and values. The report includes data analysis and a summary of pattern differences in family functioning.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed1983

Family models: comparing and contrasting the Olson Circumplex Model with the Beavers Systems Model.

There is an increasing interest in and need for family models. One such model is the Olson Circumplex Model, previously reported in this journal (18). This model is compared and contrasted with the Beavers Systems Model, which was also developed from empirical data and has had extensive use in family assessment. Though both are cross-sectional, process-oriented, and capable of providing structure for family research, we believe there are certain short-comings in the Olson model that make it less clinically useful than the Beavers Systems Model. These include definitional problems and a total reliance on curvilinear dimensions with a grid approach to family typology that does not acknowledge a separation/individuation continuum. Our model avoids these deficiencies and includes a continuum of functional competence that reflects the development and differentiation of many living systems, including the family.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed1982