What Genograms Can Tell Us About Family Dynamics that Quantitative Data Cannot

What Genograms Can Tell Us About Family Dynamics that Quantitative Data Cannot

Alvin Sherman Library

Genograms are an important clinical tool that is used to visually represent family relationships and their dynamics, but their effectiveness in empirical research remains limited. This mix-methods study examined the alignment between qualitative genogram visualizations and quantitative assessments of family dysfunctionality among individuals who exhibited high levels of risky sexual behavior. Based on preliminary data, currently with seven individuals with a high level of risky sexual behavior, we created genograms through interviews with young adult participants who described the emotional quality of each family relationship. Quantitative data on risky sexual behavior and whole family functioning were collected using the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales IV-Short Form (FACES-IV-SF; Priest et al., 2020), which assesses entire family functioning across six subscales. Genograms highlight different relationship dynamics between the participant and each family member, whereas FACES weighs all family relationships equally as it captures family functioning at the whole-family level. Comparisons between the two revealed notable discrepancies, limiting the ability of each method alone to identify meaningful family relationship patterns that link family dysfunction to sexual risk behaviors. Rather than indicating a methodological weakness of a quantitative or qualitative method alone, these findings emphasize different types of insight that genograms vs. questionnaires (such as FACES) provide into the complexity of family systems. Genograms may provide meaningful contextual insights that standardized measures alone cannot, as information is probed to develop and support a more intricate understanding of family dynamics, which can influence sexual health decision making.