PYC4808
ECOSYSTEMIC PSYCHOLOGY
Assignment 5
20 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
100% CORRECT
TEXTBOOK USED:
Becvar DS & Becvar, RJ. (2014). Family Therapy: A
Systemic Integration (8th ed.). Pearson Education Limited,
UK.
For every answer, there are elaborations from the
textbook/MEMO to prove or disprove the relevant
answers.
,Assignment 5 - unique Assignment Number 639249 (due date 1 August 2022) 10% of mark
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Read the following case study, and answer questions 1-3 below.
Case Study:
Portia is a 26-year-old medical student, who is currently completing her internship at Baragwaneth Hospital.
Since she started her long work hours, she has developed insomnia. The lack of sleep has started impacting on
her performance at work, and her supervisor referred her to a psychologist to assist with possible stress, and
the triggers for the insomnia.
Tobias, the psychologist, suggested that she try listening to soothing music, take a hot bath before going to bed,
and limit screen time 1 hour before bed. After 2 weeks, Portia’s insomnia did not get any better. Tobias then
suggested that when she cannot sleep, instead of trying to fall asleep, Portia should get up and clean the house.
Question 1
The suggestion from the psychologist to ‘listen soothing music, take a hot bath before going to bed, and limit
screen time 1 hour before bed’ can best be described as:
1. Perturbation
2. First order change
3. Second order change
4. Maintaining the status quo
ADDITIONAL NOTES QUESTION 1:
The psychologist’s initial intervention was based on a logical solution to the problem which did not challenge
the rules of the system. First order change is consistent with the rules of the system, and does not alter the
underlying organisation of the system. Therefore, the solution of listening to soothing music and taking a hot
bath before bed, is an attempt to address Portia’s symptoms instead of addressing the systemic organisation
that gives rise to her symptoms.
HOW PSYCHOLOGIST WOULD APPROACH THERAPY FROM FIRST ORDER CYBERNETICS AND
SECOND ORDER CYBERNETICS
FIRST ORDER CYBERNETICS SECOND ORDER CYBERNETICS
Psychotherapy is regards as a corrective and The focus is on creation of contexts on
normative means of addressing the how people give meaning to their world.
problems of the systems The system is the main focus, instead of
individual interventions
Therapist seen as an expert who can create The aim is to create a context of change
change within a system rather than impose changes in the system
, The therapist is a change agent The therapist is regarded as a perturber.
Individual is not the target of intervention Prefers an observing system with the
instead the system is. inclusion of the therapist’s own context
Make objective observations to discover Objectivity is rejected and instead we
facts. understand our experiences as subjective
FOC is aimed at behavioural changes. SOC aimed at epistemological changes
Therapist objectively assesses family system Therapist is thus part of the system and
and diagnoses the pathology – from outside co-creates the shared reality (mutual
the family system (separate). interaction and effect).
Therapist uses therapeutic dialogue as a
tool and emotional posture (body
language) is crucial in influencing the
therapeutic dialogue
System is regarded as problematic. Therapist effects change by perturbing the
system from within.
The psychologist views the system from an
objective position and imposes changes The therapist doesn’t influence/change
the client, they influence the context
Therapist assess, diagnose and intervene to
correct and change the system.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Question 2
The suggestion from the psychologist to ‘instead of trying to fall asleep, Portia should get up and clean the
house’ can best be described as:
1. First order change
2. Second order change
3. Reductionistic
4. Modernist
, ADDITIONAL NOTES QUESTION 2:
MEMO: The psychologist’s suggestion to get up and clean the house is counterintuitive and illogical, as it
requires her to do more work when she is unable to sleep, instead of trying to sleep. By doing this, Portia no
longer tries to fall asleep, but instead does more work, which is presumably the real systemic problem. When
this is done knowingly, i.e. Portia intentionally tries to stay awake to do more work, it shifts the control that the
symptom has over Portia into her own hands. The symptom is no longer something that controls Portia, but
Portia controls the symptom by purposefully trying to stay awake through doing more work. Furthermore, this
intervention will also make the symptom become untenable in the long term, and the system will be challenged
to reorganise in the way that Portia relates to her work schedule. This intervention is known as prescribing the
symptom.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Question 3
The suggestions provided by Tobias, the psychologist, to ‘listen soothing music, take a hot bath before going to
bed, and limit screen time 1 hour before bed’ and ‘Instead of trying to sleep, Portia should get up and clean the
house’ can both be described as:
1. Both suggestions can be described as first order cybernetic concepts, as they both refer to change
2. Both suggestions can be described as first order cybernetic concepts, as they both refer to perturbation
3. Both suggestions can be described as second order cybernetic concepts, as they both refer to perturbation
4. None of the above
ADDITIONAL NOTES QUESTION 3:
1 is correct, because both interventions of the psychologist tries to change the system. Although first order
change and second order change differ in how change is brought about, they are both concerned with altering
the system’s functioning from a pathological state to a more desired healthy state. This is in line with first order
cybernetic approach, which assumes that the psychologist is an expert that observes, diagnoses and intervenes
in a system to bring about change, to reduce pathology and to enhance systemic health. This differs from a
second order cybernetics approach, which rejects the notions of health and pathology as defined from an
external position and assumes that instead of changing a system, the psychologist can at most perturb the
members of a system to think of themselves and their problems in a different way. Such a reframe in thinking is
then assumed to be the catalyst for systemic reorganisation from a second order cybernetic perspective.
First order change and second order change are fundamentally different concepts to first order cybernetics,
and second order cybernetics. Remember not to confuse these concepts.
How are they both FIRST ORDER CHANGE AND SECOND ORDER CHANGE relevant to FOC?
The starting point is to acknowledge that both first and second order change are FOC principles. This is in line
with the notion that a therapist from a FOC perspective is a change agent, and therefore attempts to change a
system. A SOC therapist does not attempt to change a system.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
ECOSYSTEMIC PSYCHOLOGY
Assignment 5
20 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
100% CORRECT
TEXTBOOK USED:
Becvar DS & Becvar, RJ. (2014). Family Therapy: A
Systemic Integration (8th ed.). Pearson Education Limited,
UK.
For every answer, there are elaborations from the
textbook/MEMO to prove or disprove the relevant
answers.
,Assignment 5 - unique Assignment Number 639249 (due date 1 August 2022) 10% of mark
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Read the following case study, and answer questions 1-3 below.
Case Study:
Portia is a 26-year-old medical student, who is currently completing her internship at Baragwaneth Hospital.
Since she started her long work hours, she has developed insomnia. The lack of sleep has started impacting on
her performance at work, and her supervisor referred her to a psychologist to assist with possible stress, and
the triggers for the insomnia.
Tobias, the psychologist, suggested that she try listening to soothing music, take a hot bath before going to bed,
and limit screen time 1 hour before bed. After 2 weeks, Portia’s insomnia did not get any better. Tobias then
suggested that when she cannot sleep, instead of trying to fall asleep, Portia should get up and clean the house.
Question 1
The suggestion from the psychologist to ‘listen soothing music, take a hot bath before going to bed, and limit
screen time 1 hour before bed’ can best be described as:
1. Perturbation
2. First order change
3. Second order change
4. Maintaining the status quo
ADDITIONAL NOTES QUESTION 1:
The psychologist’s initial intervention was based on a logical solution to the problem which did not challenge
the rules of the system. First order change is consistent with the rules of the system, and does not alter the
underlying organisation of the system. Therefore, the solution of listening to soothing music and taking a hot
bath before bed, is an attempt to address Portia’s symptoms instead of addressing the systemic organisation
that gives rise to her symptoms.
HOW PSYCHOLOGIST WOULD APPROACH THERAPY FROM FIRST ORDER CYBERNETICS AND
SECOND ORDER CYBERNETICS
FIRST ORDER CYBERNETICS SECOND ORDER CYBERNETICS
Psychotherapy is regards as a corrective and The focus is on creation of contexts on
normative means of addressing the how people give meaning to their world.
problems of the systems The system is the main focus, instead of
individual interventions
Therapist seen as an expert who can create The aim is to create a context of change
change within a system rather than impose changes in the system
, The therapist is a change agent The therapist is regarded as a perturber.
Individual is not the target of intervention Prefers an observing system with the
instead the system is. inclusion of the therapist’s own context
Make objective observations to discover Objectivity is rejected and instead we
facts. understand our experiences as subjective
FOC is aimed at behavioural changes. SOC aimed at epistemological changes
Therapist objectively assesses family system Therapist is thus part of the system and
and diagnoses the pathology – from outside co-creates the shared reality (mutual
the family system (separate). interaction and effect).
Therapist uses therapeutic dialogue as a
tool and emotional posture (body
language) is crucial in influencing the
therapeutic dialogue
System is regarded as problematic. Therapist effects change by perturbing the
system from within.
The psychologist views the system from an
objective position and imposes changes The therapist doesn’t influence/change
the client, they influence the context
Therapist assess, diagnose and intervene to
correct and change the system.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Question 2
The suggestion from the psychologist to ‘instead of trying to fall asleep, Portia should get up and clean the
house’ can best be described as:
1. First order change
2. Second order change
3. Reductionistic
4. Modernist
, ADDITIONAL NOTES QUESTION 2:
MEMO: The psychologist’s suggestion to get up and clean the house is counterintuitive and illogical, as it
requires her to do more work when she is unable to sleep, instead of trying to sleep. By doing this, Portia no
longer tries to fall asleep, but instead does more work, which is presumably the real systemic problem. When
this is done knowingly, i.e. Portia intentionally tries to stay awake to do more work, it shifts the control that the
symptom has over Portia into her own hands. The symptom is no longer something that controls Portia, but
Portia controls the symptom by purposefully trying to stay awake through doing more work. Furthermore, this
intervention will also make the symptom become untenable in the long term, and the system will be challenged
to reorganise in the way that Portia relates to her work schedule. This intervention is known as prescribing the
symptom.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Question 3
The suggestions provided by Tobias, the psychologist, to ‘listen soothing music, take a hot bath before going to
bed, and limit screen time 1 hour before bed’ and ‘Instead of trying to sleep, Portia should get up and clean the
house’ can both be described as:
1. Both suggestions can be described as first order cybernetic concepts, as they both refer to change
2. Both suggestions can be described as first order cybernetic concepts, as they both refer to perturbation
3. Both suggestions can be described as second order cybernetic concepts, as they both refer to perturbation
4. None of the above
ADDITIONAL NOTES QUESTION 3:
1 is correct, because both interventions of the psychologist tries to change the system. Although first order
change and second order change differ in how change is brought about, they are both concerned with altering
the system’s functioning from a pathological state to a more desired healthy state. This is in line with first order
cybernetic approach, which assumes that the psychologist is an expert that observes, diagnoses and intervenes
in a system to bring about change, to reduce pathology and to enhance systemic health. This differs from a
second order cybernetics approach, which rejects the notions of health and pathology as defined from an
external position and assumes that instead of changing a system, the psychologist can at most perturb the
members of a system to think of themselves and their problems in a different way. Such a reframe in thinking is
then assumed to be the catalyst for systemic reorganisation from a second order cybernetic perspective.
First order change and second order change are fundamentally different concepts to first order cybernetics,
and second order cybernetics. Remember not to confuse these concepts.
How are they both FIRST ORDER CHANGE AND SECOND ORDER CHANGE relevant to FOC?
The starting point is to acknowledge that both first and second order change are FOC principles. This is in line
with the notion that a therapist from a FOC perspective is a change agent, and therefore attempts to change a
system. A SOC therapist does not attempt to change a system.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
