The Family System Test Theory and Application. . - FAST - book review

Adolescence,  Winter, 2002  

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GEHRING, Thomas M., DEBRY, Marrianne, & SMITH, Peter K. (Eds.). The Family System Test (FAST) Theory and Application. New York: Brunner-Routledge, 2001. 320pp. $95.00 (h).

The Family System Test (FAST), developed by Thomas M. Gehring, is a new tool for investigating family relations. Based on the structural-systemic theory of families, it is a figural technique for representing emotional bonds (cohesion) and hierarchical structures in the family or similar social systems. In this volume, the editors draw on current theory and research in family psychology, together with a variety of empirical studies that have used the FAST, to provide a comprehensive overview and assessment of the test and its use in various clinical and research contexts. The book is divided into four sections. Part 1 describes the methodological concepts and psychometric properties of the FAST within the context of theoretically and empirically relevant aspects of the field of family psychology as a whole. Special emphasis is given to structural-systemic approaches to assessing individual and family functioning. Part 2 focuses on the use of the FAST in developmental research. For example, the FAST has been u sed to show how family constructs are influenced by age, type of family and situation. Part 3 deals with cross-cultural issues and compares the interpersonal constructs of Japanese and Chinese families to Western families. Part 4 addresses the applications of the FAST in a clinical setting--in diagnosis of biopsychosocial problems and planning and evaluation of clinical interventions.

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