Disequilibrium Theory: Affiliative Subsystem

stress is built, and finally, the body enters a stage of exhaustion, a sort of aging "due to wear and tear" (Andrews, Cromwell, Fries & Hodge, 2008).

Even from the beginning Dorothy supported nursing as both a science and an art. She felt that nursing should focus on the client and not the disease process. Dorothy felt that the body was to be maintained in a state of equilibrium and that any stressor would trigger a response and the body would then be in a state of disequilibrium. The job of the nurse and the nursing care provided is intended to help the client return to a state of equilibrium. She felt that disequilibrium was a result of a stressor or causative agent inflicting instability upon the patient. When this stressor or causative

agent is eliminated or reduced then the client with support from the nurse would use natural and adaptive processes to regain the state of equilibrium (Martes, 2012).
Dorothy initially viewed a person as a system that was then broken into smaller parts or subsystems. She defined eight subsystems, four structural characteristic and three functional requirements. The eight subsystems are ingestive, eliminative, affiliative, dependency, sexual, aggressive-protective, achievement, and restorative. The four structural characteristics are drive, choice, act and observable. Lastly the three functional requirements are protection, nurturance and stimulation (Andrews, Cromwell, Fries & Hodge, 2008). To further define the three functional requirements we look at protection as protection from noxious influences, provisions for a nurturing environment, and stimulation for growth (Gonzalo, 2011).
An imbalance in any of the eight behavioral subsystems will lead to disequilibrium and in turn illness.

Looking at the eight behavioral subsystems closer Ingestive subsystem fulfills the need to supply the biological requirements for food and fluids. Eliminative subsystem functions to excrete waste. Affiliative subsystem also known as attachment subsystem serves the need for security through social inclusion or intimacy. Dependency subsystem is those behaviors designed to get attention, recognition and physical assistance. Sexual subsystem serves the biologic requirements of procreation and reproduction. Aggressive subsystem functions in self and social protection and preservation. Achievement subsystem functions to master and control one's self of the environment (Gonzalo, 2011). The eighth subsystem is restorative these are behaviors that are associated with restoring of energy and equilibrium. These include behaviors like sleep, fatigue, recovery, leisure and recreational interests (Andrews, Cromwell, Fries & Hodge, 2008). In order to decrease the effects of an imbalance in a subsystem the three functional characteristics must be present to protect the behavioral system and overall health of the

person.
The behavioral system model is a form of inductive reasoning.

Inductive reasoning is a generalization or conclusion that is drawn from cases that have been examined and studied. There are four steps observation, analysis, inference, and confirmation. Observation involved collecting facts without bias, analysis involved looking for patterns and classifying facts, inference involved developing generalizations about the facts and patterns, finally confirmation involved further observation testing the inference (Changing Works, 2015). Dorothy developed her theory based on the thought that the body was healthy when it was in a state of equilibrium. She felt that when one or more subsystems are in disequilibrium, the person would react in a patterned, purposeful, repetitive way. By grouping the behaviors together she felt that they would then be predicted and ordered. The goal was for nursing to then nurture these subsystems to return them to stability (Andrews, Cromwell, Fries & Hodge, 2008). Dorothy, over a 15 year time span, examined her students, analyzed what they learned and needed to know to care for patients. Dorothy would then take what she learned and rework her teaching goals. The

process