Angela and Alberto constantly spend evenings and weekends together. Their children go to school but are not encouraged to join school or community activities. They may not have friends to their home to play or stay overnight. This family would be described as:

• A. A closed system
• B. An open system
• C. Enmeshed
• D. Disengaged

Answer: (A)

Families described as having a closed system maintain rigid, impermeable boundaries that limit contact with the outside world. In this scenario, Angela and Alberto spend evenings and weekends together, but their children are not encouraged to join school or community activities and friends aren’t invited over. The family essentially isolates itself from external influences, which is the hallmark of a closed-system boundary pattern.

This differs from an open system, which would show permeability and engagement with outside people and activities; enmeshed describes overly diffuse, blended boundaries with high dependence among family members; and disengaged refers to emotional distance and limited involvement within the family itself. The key idea here is the firm, self-contained boundary around the family, making closed system the best fit.