Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) Practice Exam

Which term is used to describe the family’s ability to adjust to changing circumstances?

1. Resilience

2. Adaptability

3. Flexibility

4. Stability

The correct answer is: Adaptability

The term that best describes the family’s ability to adjust to changing circumstances is adaptability. Adaptability refers to how well a family can modify its behavior and operations in response to new challenges or stressors. This includes adjusting communication styles, roles, and dynamics among family members to effectively cope with transitions such as relocation, illness, or changes in family structure. While resilience is closely related and often used in similar contexts, it more specifically refers to the ability to bounce back from adversity and recover from hardship. Flexibility generally refers to the ease of changing one's approach or perspective but does not fully encapsulate the ongoing process of adjusting and thriving amidst changes, as adaptability does. Stability, on the other hand, emphasizes maintaining consistent structures and routines, which can be important but does not represent the active process of adjustment necessary for dealing with dynamic situations. Thus, adaptability is the most fitting term for describing a family's capacity to effectively respond and change in the face of new circumstances.