Relational Competence Ecomap (RC-Ecomap): comparing different levels of analyses Eugenio Bedini, Ornella Mozzato, Giovanna Gianesini

RationaleFor a long time, the ecological paradigm has suggested the creation of an Ecomap as assessment for family psychology (Calix, 2004; Carpenter-Aeby, Aeby e Boyd, 2007; Early, Smith, Todd, & Beem, 2000; Hodge, 2000; Ray & Street, 2005). Several proposals, presenting advantages and limits, are available in the literature. Within Theory of Relational Competence (RCT) a new Ecomap version has been proposed that considers the dimensions of some of its models and allows a log-linear analysis of the input values with the advantage of obtaining the significance such parameters. The different levels of analysis have to be interpreted with a double meaning: a) as hierarchical dimensions within RCT; b) as qualitative data on individual subject, couples or even a whole family. This work will consider the first acceptation, whereas it will refer to a previous work for the second (Cusinato & Colesso, in press).

The RC-Ecomap:It is divided into four parts, corresponding to the four contexts reported by L’Abate

(1995) mentioned, resuming from Foà & Foà (1974): Home, Work, Survival and Enjoyment. For each context the number of continuous and significant relationships are considered, as well as the frequency and quality of such interactions. For every relationship the resources exchanged, either Money, Goods, Services, Information, Importance, or Intimacy, are also analyzed as well as the direction of the exchange which can be reciprocal (type “a” ), given (type “b”) and received (type “c” ). These six resources are combined into three relationship contents: Being, Doing, and Having. The resource Importance combines with Intimacy to become Presence, that is “Being” emotively available to oneself and significant others. The resources Services and Information combined represent Performance, that is “Doing”, while the resources Goods and Money combined becomes Production, that is “Having”. Both Performance and Production can be further combined to define the superordinate construct of Power. Whoever can control, totally or partially, Performance and Production will also be able to exercise a certain amount of power within the relationship. Similarly “Being” defines “Presence” as a superordinate construct, essential element in intimate relationships.

RC-Ecomap has a structural form that easily allows the gathering of information from the subject which is then elaborated in order to produce graphically a map of all significant relationships, useful as diagnostic, prognostic and/or intervention tool. The Information Sheet requires the subject (couple or family, separately) to indicate for each context: (a) the number and type of interactions with significant others, either positive or negative; (b) the frequency of each interaction; (c) its quality; (d) its contents; (e) its direction (either reciprocal, from the subject, or to the subject).

Context: HOME * 1 2 3

A. Persons:** (rrole, sex, age)

B. Frequency: 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5

C. Quality: 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5

D-E. what these contacts concern?

D«quantity»

E«direction»

D«quantity»

E«direction»

D«quantity»

E«direction»

money no little yes a b c no little yes a b c no little yes a b c

goods no little yes a b c no little yes a b c no little yes a b c

services no little yes a b c no little yes a b c no little yes a b c

information no little yes a b c no little yes a b c no little yes a b c

importance no little yes a b c no little yes a b c no little yes a b c

intimacy no little yes a b c no little yes a b c no little yes a b c

Once the values for each contact’s frequency and quality are transferred, those two values are multiplied to obtain the Context Index (CI), which transforms settings into context and allows some hypothesis about the subject 's distribution of his/her Relational Competence in each context.

In the analysis, the Context Index is multiplied by the quantity of each resource (no = 0; little = 1; yes = 2) to obtain some Content Intensity Indexes, concerning the subject’s relationship with each individual while the sum of each resource produced some Contents Intensity for Context Indexes.

The data, values and indexes obtained are then reported in a table that allows to operate weighing, formulate hypothesis, draw opportune bivariate and trivariate tables and then proceed with a to log-linear analysis for calculating marginal and cross parameters and their statistical significance.

Subject:

context persons*contacts resources (bidirection)***

frequency quality CI money** goods services informazion importance intimacy

home 1: 0 0 0 0 0 0

home 2: 0 0 0 0 0 0

home 3: 0 0 0 0 0 0

work 4: 0 0 0 0 0 0

work 5: 0 0 0 0 0 0

work 6: 0 0 0 0 0 0

survival 7: 0 0 0 0 0 0

survival 8: 0 0 0 0 0 0

survival 9: 0 0 0 0 0 0

enjoiment 10: 0 0 0 0 0 0

enjoiment 11: 0 0 0 0 0 0

enjoiment 12: 0 0 0 0 0 0

* the line’s number is corresponding with contacts’ number** the values are reported replacing, in case, the zero. The near column is to weighed scores*** this table’s part (left out to simplification) must be repeat to given and received resource

It’s the logic of the tool to translate into a "synthetic and intuitive" map the statistically significant values of the indexes to obtain a measure of the level of Relational Competence of the individual, couple or whole family.

Example of an individual RC-Ecomap This example is to be considered a case study. Other scales were administered in addition to the RC-Ecomap (some independent

others derived from RC Theory) and a Genogram was built. This multiplicity of information has allowed us to compare results at different levels.

Subjects: The non-clinical subject (P) is a young adult, aged 31, living with his mother, brother and

maternal grand-mother. He states he has recently engaged and this choice has given him a long sought serenity. He holds a Bachelor degree in economics and currently works as administrative employee in a local waist treatment facility. Since his childhood he’s been part of a Scout association, which life style he has endorsed; he’s many friends and he’s an active volunteer. His personal data has been modified to respect his privacy.

Instruments: Questionnaire of Relational Competence (QCR, Cusinato & Colesso, 2007), Likeness

Continuum Scale (LCS, Cusinato & Colesso) and RC-Ecomap were administrated to the subject. The subject was also interviewed about his family history, in order to draw his Genogram.

ResultsQCR scale (T scores): Emotional Differentiation Scale: Structure: N = 17 item valued on a 5-step Likert scale (1 = never, rarely; 2 = rarely; 3 = sometimes;

4 = often; 5 = always or almost always): 61Intimacy Threat Scale: Structure: N = 15 item valued on on a 5-step Likert scale (1 = never, rarely; 2 = rarely; 3 = sometimes; 4 =

often; 5 = always or almost always): 41Awareness Scale: Structure: N = 10 item valued on on a 5-step Likert scale (1 = never, rarely; 2 = rarely; 3 = sometimes; 4 = often; 5

= always or almost always): 53Relationship Anxiety Scale: Structure: N = 6 item valued on a 5-step Likert scale (1 = never, rarely; 2 = rarely; 3 = sometimes; 4 =

often; 5 = always or almost always): 38Depression Scale: Structure: N = 20 item valued on a 5-step Likert scale (1 = never, rarely; 2 = rarely; 3 = sometimes; 4 = often; 5 =

always or almost always): 39Life Satisfaction Scale: Structure: N = 5 item valued on a 5-step Likert scale (1 = never, rarely; 2 = rarely; 3 = sometimes; 4 = often;

5 = always or almost always): 55LC Scales: Structure: N = 60 item placed on 6 scales, valued on a 7-steps Likert (1 = Not at all, 2 = Very little, 3 = Little, 4 = So so, 5 =

Somewhat, 6 = very, 7 = Very much).A- Assimilation: 29B- Alienation: 22C- Sameness: 48D- Oppositeness: 31E- Similarity: 54F- Differentness: 46These results confirm the functionality of the subject.

D M

P

31

Subject’s Genogram:

Legend:

Scanty, distant relation

Emotional affinity

Addiction/fusioni

Affective relation

Broken affective relation

Affective relation and cohabitation

Irremediable break

Manipulating relation

Construction of RC-Ecomap

1) data from the answer sheets are reported in the table below. Subject:Non-clinical subject (P) is a young adult, aged 31, living with mother, brother and maternal grand-mother. He maintains to be recently engaged and this choice gives him the long sought serenity. He has master degree in economics and works as administrative employee in a local waist treatment company. Since his childhood

he’s been part of a scout association, which gave him his style of life; he’s many friends and he’s an active volunteer. Every data that could take to his identification has been modified.Contacts Resources (direction a) Resources (direction b) Resources (direction c)

Settings Persons frequency quality C I money goods information services importance intimacy money goods information services importance intimacy money goods information services importance intimacy

home Mother 5 3 15 0 0 2 30 1 15 1 15 1 15 0 0 2 30 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 15home Father 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0home Brother 3 2 6 0 0 1 6 1 6 0 0 2 12 1 6 2 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0home Sister 3 4 12 0 0 0 0 1 12 1 12 2 24 1 12 2 24 2 24 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0home Niece 3 5 15 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 15 2 30 2 30 2 30 1 15 1 15 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0home Grandmother 5 2 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 20 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 20 2 20 0 0 0 0 2 20 2 20 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 10

59 0 36 33 42   101   48   97   40   35 20 0 0 20 20 0 0 1 1 25work Colleague, f1 5 5 25 2 50 2 50 2 50 2 50 2 50 2 50 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

work Boss,f 1 5 4 20 2 40 2 40 2 40 2 40 1 20 1 20 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0work Colleague,m 2 4 3 12 1 12 2 24 2 24 2 24 1 12 1 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

work Colleague,m 3 3 4 12 0 0 1 12 2 24 2 24 1 12 1 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

work Colleague,f 4 4 2 8 0 0 0 0 2 16 2 16 2 16 0 0 0 0 2 16 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 16

work Colleague,m 5 4 3 12 0 0 2 24 2 24 2 24 2 24 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 24

work Colleague,f,6 5 4 20 0 0 1 20 0 0 1 20 2 40 1 20 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 40 0 0 0 0 0 0

work Boss, f, 2 4 4 16 2 32 2 32 2 32 2 32 2 32 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0125   134   202   210 230   206   114   0   16   0 0 0 0 0 0 40 0 0 40

survival Doctor 1 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 8 2 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0survival Post teller 2 3 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 12 2 12 2 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0survival Insurer 3 4 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 24 2 24 2 24 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

22   0   0   0   0   0   0   12   36   44 32 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0enjoiment Girlfriend,f 5 5 25 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 50 2 50 2 50 0 0 0 0 1 25 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

enjoiment Friend1,f 4 5 20 0 0 0 0 2 40 2 40 2 40 2 40 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

enjoiment Friend2,f 2 5 10 0 0 0 0 2 20 2 20 2 20 2 20 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

enjoiment Friend3,f 4 5 20 0 0 0 0 2 40 2 40 2 40 2 40 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

enjoiment Friend4,f 2 5 10 0 0 0 0 2 20 2 20 2 20 2 20 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

enjoiment Friend 5,m 3 5 15 1 15 1 15 2 30 2 30 2 30 2 30 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

enjoiment Friend 6,m 4 4 16 0 0 0 0 2 32 2 32 2 32 2 32 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

enjoiment Friend 7,m 4 4 16 0 0 2 32 2 32 1 16 2 32 2 32 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

enjoiment Scout boss,f 3 5 15 1 15 1 15 2 30 2 30 2 30 1 15 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

enjoiment Friend 8,m 4 5 20 1 20 1 20 2 40 2 40 2 40 2 40 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

167 50   82   284   318   334   319   0   0   25 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Having

Doing

Being

Having

Doing

Being

P

Having

Doing

Being

Having

Doing

Being

Legenda: p positive p negative

home work

enjoiment survival

P’s RC-Ecomap representing Modalities

Analysis:Home Work Survival Enjoyment

p p p p

-1.75 .0402 5.87 .0000 -7.16 .0000 9.52 .0000

µ̂µ̂µ̂µ̂

Power Presencep p

5.21 p = .0000 -5.21 p = .0000

µ̂µ̂

Power Presence

Settings: p p

home -2.90 .0018 2.90 .0018work -2.84 .0022 2.84 .0022

survival 3.76 .0001 -3.76 .0001

enjoyment -5.43 .0000 5.43 .0000

µ̂µ̂µ̂µ̂µ̂µ̂

Having Doing Being

p p p

0.90 .1848 4.65 .0000 -2.86 .0021

µ̂µ̂µ̂

Having Doing Being

Settings: p p p

home 0.92 .1799 -6.34 .0000 2.95 .0016work -1.75 .0403 -2.94 .0016 2.47 .0068

survival 3.48 .0002 3.50 .0002 -3.56 .0002

enjoyment -8.91 .0000 -0.50 .3089 5.12 .0000

µ̂µ̂µ̂

money goods information services importance intimacy

p p p p p p

-1.87 .0307 2.58 .0049 6.04 .0000 4.75 .0000 -1.54 .0616 -2.09 .0182

µ̂µ̂µ̂µ̂µ̂µ̂

money goods information services importance intimacySettings: p p p p p p

home 4.220 .0000 -1.033 .1508 -6.443 .0000 -6.079 .0000 2.128 .0166 1.582 .0569

work -1.308 .0954 -1.283 .0998 -3.140 .0008 -2.771 .0028 1.720 .0427 1.313 .0946

survival 2.350 .0094 4.839 .0000 4.428 .0000 3.623 .0001 -2.467 .0068 -2.282 .0112

enjoyment -7.916 .0000 -8.980 .0000 -0.803 .2111 0.557 .2887 3.419 .0003 3.811 .0001

µ̂µ̂µ̂µ̂µ̂µ̂

Discussion:After considering all the data collected and analysed, we can state that the framework proposed is functional to the subject from a Relational Competence point of view. However, the Genogram and the RC-ecomap both indicate that the context Home is NOT functional to the subject. He has weak ties with his family, except for his little niece, and a close dysfunctional relationship with his mother. P finds compensate with functionality at Work, with good relationships among colleagues, and in Enjoyment settings, where we can also find his new girlfriend, in a relationship that seems to give him the serenity he has been searching for a long time. We chose to represent the RC-ecomap at the level of contents to better synthesize and clarify the subject's Relational Competence ; as his most significant resource exchanged refers to “Being”, whereas Doing and Having are only present in the Survival settings, a non- significant context for P.The results of other tests (QCR Scales, LC Scales) confirm P.'s functionality, which clearly derives from Work and Enjoyment settings, as there is no functional framework at Home. In that context it is fundamental the exchange of “ Being”, that is Presence, rather than any other or Power. This is true also for Home, but not sufficient to convey the best context for P. While the tests allow us to verify functionality, the RC-ecomap, along with the Genogram, shows how and how much this functionality is distributed in the everyday contexts of the subject's life.ConclusionsThe RC-Ecomap appears to be an useful tool both at an preventive, educative and intervention level, as it makes it possible to analyse individual data obtained from different subjects and all families. RC-ecomap can be also used for research using both parametric and non-parametric analyses.