Tsui-Shan Li Liu
Department of Applied Life Science Fu-Jen Catholic University
The purpose of this article is to introduce the 〝integrative process systems perspective〞and its implications on family psychology research. In the first part, the integrative process systems perspective is compared with general systems theory and family systems theory. It is pointed out that systems perspective emphasizes the importance of integrating different disciplines, which makes it more like a〝scientific paradigm 〞rather than a〝theory〞 in family psychology. In the second part, the implications of systems perspective on family psychology are discussed in three ways: First, it is suggested that systems perspective helps forming meaningful research questions by taking 〝time〞and 〝context〞into account. The problem-centered approach also enables a researcher to adopt ideas from other disciplines and thus ask a better question. Second, the systems perspective acknowledges the contributions of both qualitative and quantitative research methods, puts effort on collecting both personal and family data, and allows both cross-sectional and longitudinal designs. These flexibilities on the research method provide the systems perspective a chance to see the whole picture of family relations. Third and finally, the systems perspective is helpful in terms of data interpretations. By using systems perspective, a researcher could develop divergent perspectives by comparing data from different family members, or could find a convergent perspective among family members. Both could be meaningful for family psychology.
Keywords: family psychology, research method, integrative process systems perspective