Literature Review

Bowen’s theory of family system has been supported by numerous empirical researches, especially in the concept of differentiation of self. Bowen argued that inadequately separated adults would probably have symptomatic children (Kerr & Bowen, 1988). He viewed the family as an emotional unit and uses that framework of thinking to understand the behavior of its members as a whole system. Although there is emerging proof of some of Bowen’s basic theoretical propositions, there is still a lack of research that has tested the effectiveness of Bowen’s model of treatment.

Separation of self includes the ability to recognize the reasoning and feeling frameworks as well as the capacity to preserve autonomy within the context of profound closeness with significant others (Bowen, 1978). Research has indicated that individuals who are less differentiated are believed to be all the more emotionally sensitive and to experience issues thinking clearly under pressure and keeping up a strong sense of self in close relationships (Kerr & Bowen, 1988).

Harvey, Cury, and Bawl (1991) found that parents' levels of individuation and closeness were correlated with those of their children, supporting Bowen's multigenerational transmission theory. Bowen theorized that poor separation prompts less adaptability and flexibility in the family framework (Kerr & Bowen, 1988). Bowen found that individuals who are well differentiated are more resistant to the impacts of stress; however, a similar measure of stress experienced by a poorly differentiated individual would have horrible outcomes. The outcome of this interaction is that poorly differentiated individuals encounter brokenness more regularly than people who are all the more exceedingly differentiated, and this distinction is exacerbated by stressful conditions (Murdock & Gore, 2004).

A study conducted by Peleg-Popko (2002) investigated Bowen’s theory of separation of
self, using university students to examine the relationship between separation of self, social anxiety, and physiological symptoms. The author found that students who were less responsive, cutoff, or fused with others, and better able to take I-positions in relationships, experienced lower levels of anxiety and somatic symptoms. These outcomes loan support to Bowen's conflict that separation is an essential part of mental prosperity and that absence of separation is associated with chronic anxiety. The author suggests that therapists ought to consider different parts of separation when treating a client’s social anxiety and somatic symptoms (Peleg-Popko, 2002).