Meet the Theorists
This sociologist created the ABC-X model after studying families separated and reunited by World War II.
Reuben Hill
In ABC-X, this letter stands for the meaning the family gives the stressor.
C (perception).
A child's diagnosis of this developmental condition is one of the most-studied applications of the Double ABC-X.
Autism.
This questionnaire measures the pile-up of life events and changes.
The FILE.
This theorist's Contextual Model adds outside context to the picture.
Pauline Boss.
These two researchers extended Hill's model to explain what happens after a crisis.
McCubbin and Patterson.
Every family has this, but only some reach this state, where roles and routines break down.
Stress versus crisis.
Most research using this theory collects data from this group, not from the children.
Parents and caregivers.
In a study of 195 families of children with autism, this cC factor was among the strongest links to family outcomes.
Reframing.
Critics ask "whose perception counts?" when measuring this letter.
C.
Hill's model stops at this point. That gap is why the Double ABC-X was created.
The crisis (X): it doesn't explain recovery.
A child's diagnosis is followed by a parent's cut work hours and rising medical bills. All of it together is this double-letter construct.
aA (pile-up)
A public health program gives caregivers respite care and a support group. Which letter does it target?
bB (resources).
A researcher wants to measure how a family copes: seeking support, reframing, and spiritual support. Which tool should she use?
The F-COPES
A family can't cope its way out of a layoff or high insulin costs. Which weakness of the original model does this expose?
It focuses inside the family and overlooks outside, structural stressors.
Final Jeopardy: "Game Over?"
A 10-year-old with ADHD melts down every night when his game is turned off. Mom thinks gaming is ruining him. Dad says it's the only place his son has friends. Map A, B, C, and predict X.