The Family System Plot (FSP): A new repertory grid diagnostic tool for the examination of relationships within the system „family“

Frank Schoeneich *, Otto B. Walter**, Cora Weber, Pia Thier, Burghard F. Klapp*

* Charité / Virchow Clinic, Medical School of Humboldt University, Internal Medicine - Psycho-somatics, Berlin (Germany), ** GridLab-Software-Development, Berlin (Germany)

Abstract
The Repertory Grid diagnostic is particular well-suited for the examination of relationships. Up to this point, the self identity plot (SIP) has been a widely used instrument for the examination of significant interpersonal relationships and self-regulatory parameters such as the self-representatives „actual self“ and „ideal self“. Presented here is a new Repertory Grid diagnostic tool, namely the Family System Plot (FSP). Analogous to the self identity plot (SIP), the Family System Plot depicts the Euclidean distances (Slater, 1977; Hartmann, 1992; Schoeneich & Klapp, 1998) in a two-dimensional graphic, with respect to the relationship to mother and father. The presentation is based on a number of case studies of psychosomatic in-patients. The aim here is to introduce this new instrument and discuss possible results and their potential for statistical opera-tionalization. Hypotheses regarding the derivation of regulative-systemic parameters for questions regarding individual diagnostic and research will also be discussed.

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