Circumplex Model of Marital and Family Systems: An Update

Abstract

This article provides an overview of the Circumplex Model and how it was developed and describes the three major dimensions (cohesion, flexibility, and communication) and how they were used to create the model. There are three major hypotheses and two assessments (FACES IV and the Clinical Rating Scale) used to test the hypotheses. The model is useful for describing couple and family systems and for plotting how they change over time. The model is also used to describe other systems such as parenting and classroom settings. Personal use of the model is described and future directions and challenges for the model presented.