Mikayla and Jenna have been married for six years, and have recently decided to try therapy because they find they argue incessantly and are drifting apart emotionally. They are no longer able to spend quality time together without fighting, and both would rather spend time with friends or by themselves than with each other. They state that their arguments tend to follow the same theme time after

Question

time, regardless of what they are fighting about. Mikayla sees Jenna as “overly emotional” and states that she always breaks down during their fights. Jenna states that Mikayla never tries to understand her, that she can’t share her emotions and that she’d rather be “logical” all the time. From a structural viewpoint, how might you describe this relationship pattern?

a. The boundaries in their relationship are too diffuse.
b. The boundaries in their relationship are rigid; the couple doesn’t want to change.
c. The boundries in their relationship are complementary; their roles have become rigidly polarized.
d. The boundries in their relationship are symmetrical; each partner tries to match the other’s role.

Answer 1

ANS: C