Sociometric Intervention in Family Therapy: A Case Study

Authors

  • ESLY REGINA CARVALHO Author
  • VALERIA CRISTINA A. BRITO Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.12926/kq6r6023

Keywords:

Sociometric

Abstract

This is a case study with an alcoholic family in which Moreno's sociometric test was applied with subsequent therapeutic confrontations (Carvalho, 1986). The task was to diagnose the sociometric structure of the family that had been referred to us, pinpoint the areas of conflict and difficulty, and work them through with the use of therapeutic confrontations between family members (Carvalho, 1987). Preliminary results confirm the usefulness of this methodology as an instrument of therapeutic intervention in families.The purpose of this article is to illustrate (a) the speed of application in a family therapeutic setting; (b) the concretizing of family-systems difficulties( conflicts); (c) the format the family can follow when they return home; (d) the concrete "picture" of their own network (sociogram); and (e) the medium for immediate feedback.

References

Bustos, D. (1979). 0 teste sociometrico. Sao Paulo: Editora Brasiliense.

Carvalho, E. (1986). The use of sociometry/therapeutic confrontations in the resolution of intra-group conflicts: Consequences for human relationships. Unpublished manuscript.

Carvalho, E. (1987). A estrutura sociometrica de familias: Alcoolatras. Unpublishedmanuscript, University of Brasilia.

Hale, A. (1981). Conducting clinical sociometric explorations: A manual for psychodramatists and sociometrists. Roanoke: Royal Publishing House.

Haley, J. (1976). Problem-solving therapy. New York: Harper Colophon Books.

Haley, J., & Hoffman, L. (1967). Techniques of family therapy. New York: Basic Books.

Minuchin, S. (1974). Families and family therapy. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.

Moreno, J. (1977). Psychodrama (Vol. 1.) Beacon, NY: Beacon House.

Napier, A., & Whitaker, C. (1978). The family crucible. New York: Harper & Row, Publishers.

Rojas-Bermudez, J. (1970). Introducao ao psicodrama.. Sao Paulo: Editora Mestre Jou.

Steinglass, P. (1976). Experimenting with family treatment approaches to alcoholism, 1950-1975: A review. Family Process (Basel )15: Bio 7-123.

Downloads

Published

2025-03-14

Issue

Vol. 47 No. 4 (1995): Group Psychotherapy, Psychodrama, and Sociometry

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Journal of Psychodrama, Sociometry, and Group Psychotherapy

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

You are free to:

  1. Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format
  2. The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms.

Under the following terms:

  1. Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
  2. NonCommercial — You may not use the material for commercial purposes.
  3. NoDerivatives — If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you may not distribute the modified material.
  4. No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.

Notices:

You do not have to comply with the license for elements of the material in the public domain or where your use is permitted by an applicable exception or limitation.

No warranties are given. The license may not give you all of the permissions necessary for your intended use. For example, other rights such as publicity, privacy, or moral rights may limit how you use the material.