Previous evaluations of the Circumplex Model's curvilinear hypothesis using FACES instruments have yielded conflicting results. A review of the different research procedures and samples used in those investigations revealed that none of the studies had samples large and/or heterogenous enough to test the curvilinear hypothesis adequately. The present study evaluates the curvilinear hypothesis of family functioning and the concurrent validity of FACES III with a sample of optimal size (N = 2,440 families) and diversity. The lack of support for the curvilinear hypothesis in this "greenhouse" sample is explained by different findings for the two FACES III subscales. There was no relationship between the study's measures of well-being and the adaptability subscale and a linear relationship between these measures and the cohesion subscale. Implications of these findings for the continuing use of the FACES III and for the Circumplex Model of Marital and Family Systems are discussed.
Franks's social psychological model of oppressive situations and asymmetric role-taking offers a new way of understanding the predicaments faced by battered women. Unlike individualistic or single-factor explanations, the model suggests that women faced with a particular combination of situational pressures and relationship inequities are especially vulnerable to distressful emotions and self-esteem difficulties. Survey data from 66 battered women using domestic violence services and 80 nonbattered women were collected to test the major propositions of the model. Battered women's social situations were oppressive and characterized by powerlessness, social isolation, and economic dependency. Batterers were poor empathizers. Predictions about self-blame and identification with the aggressor were not confirmed. The practical value of this theoretical approach with its emphasis on enhancing women's power base and increasing men's interpersonal sensitivity is developed.
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