Family Development Theory Practice Questions Answered Correctly (Graded A+)
History of Family Development Theory - Answers psychology-based theories, with their narrower
emphasis on individuals, did not fully explain what happened in families with competing individual
needs. Sociology-based theories which focused on society and culture were too broad in their analysis.
Family development theory emerged in the late 1940s from the critique of these two perspectives
Family - Answers "interacting persons related by ties of marriage, birth, or adoption, whose central
purpose is to create and maintain a common culture which promotes the physical, mental, emotional,
and social development of each of its members"
Family: 2 - Answers "an intergenerational social group organized and governed by social norms
regarding descent and affinity, reproduction, and the nurturant socialization of the young"
Family Stages - Answers a time period in the life of a family that is unique in its structure, interaction
patterns, and role-relationships-with each stage being precipitated by normative events (e.g., marriage,
child birth) that happen with the passage of time, each stage is distinct and qualitatively different from
the others
Developmental tasks - Answers each stage of development requires the family to change in order to
accommodate the needs of its members; developmental tasks focus on what the family, as a unit, must
accomplish or master prior to movement to the next stage
family life cycle/course - Answers a set of predictable stages and developmental tasks a family
experiences over time. the family life cycle concept facilitates studying the family over the life course of
its members (i.e., from beginning to end)
change - Answers family development theory proposes that family relationships are not static but rather
change over time. the catalysts for change can either be internal (biological growth) or external (through
interaction with the environment)
transitions - Answers developmental events or processes that are characterized by shifts in roles,
behaviors, and responsibilities of family members. individual changes become the catalyst for family
change, causing transitions from one stage to another
norms - Answers each stage of development is related to behaviors or tasks that would normally be
expected to occur during that stage. Norms are societal expectations that govern both group and
individual behaviors, often defining the roles that people play. these norms are socially defined and
change over time as cultural mores change
timing - Answers normative timing recognizes that social prescriptions exist as to when individuals and
families are to engage in particular behaviors or accomplish certain tasks (i.e., a social clock).
Age norms - Answers denote when an event or stage is to be experiences
History of Family Development Theory - Answers psychology-based theories, with their narrower
emphasis on individuals, did not fully explain what happened in families with competing individual
needs. Sociology-based theories which focused on society and culture were too broad in their analysis.
Family development theory emerged in the late 1940s from the critique of these two perspectives
Family - Answers "interacting persons related by ties of marriage, birth, or adoption, whose central
purpose is to create and maintain a common culture which promotes the physical, mental, emotional,
and social development of each of its members"
Family: 2 - Answers "an intergenerational social group organized and governed by social norms
regarding descent and affinity, reproduction, and the nurturant socialization of the young"
Family Stages - Answers a time period in the life of a family that is unique in its structure, interaction
patterns, and role-relationships-with each stage being precipitated by normative events (e.g., marriage,
child birth) that happen with the passage of time, each stage is distinct and qualitatively different from
the others
Developmental tasks - Answers each stage of development requires the family to change in order to
accommodate the needs of its members; developmental tasks focus on what the family, as a unit, must
accomplish or master prior to movement to the next stage
family life cycle/course - Answers a set of predictable stages and developmental tasks a family
experiences over time. the family life cycle concept facilitates studying the family over the life course of
its members (i.e., from beginning to end)
change - Answers family development theory proposes that family relationships are not static but rather
change over time. the catalysts for change can either be internal (biological growth) or external (through
interaction with the environment)
transitions - Answers developmental events or processes that are characterized by shifts in roles,
behaviors, and responsibilities of family members. individual changes become the catalyst for family
change, causing transitions from one stage to another
norms - Answers each stage of development is related to behaviors or tasks that would normally be
expected to occur during that stage. Norms are societal expectations that govern both group and
individual behaviors, often defining the roles that people play. these norms are socially defined and
change over time as cultural mores change
timing - Answers normative timing recognizes that social prescriptions exist as to when individuals and
families are to engage in particular behaviors or accomplish certain tasks (i.e., a social clock).
Age norms - Answers denote when an event or stage is to be experiences
