When children
are not genetically related to their parents,
What do we really know
about parent-child communication?
Martha A. Rueter
Department of Family Social Science
University of Minnesota
Presentation overview
Introduction:
What we know about family communication
Foundation:
Data source: SIBS
Guiding theory: Family Communication Patterns
Findings:
Communication, genetic relatedness, adjustment
Communication, genetic relatedness, agreement
Future Directions
Introduction
Some things we know:
Appropriate parental control
Clear, positive or neutral messages
Listening to one another
Warmth
Control
Messages
Listening Warmth
Family
Communication
Child
Adjustment
Foundation
When children
are not genetically related to their parents,
What do we know
about parent-child communication?
Martha A. Rueter
Department of Family Social Science
Ascan F. Koerner
Department of Communication Studies
University of Minnesota
Foundation
Sibling Interaction Behavior Study (SIBS)
Research Team
Matt McGue, PI
Bill Iacano
Irene Elkins
Meg Keyes
Martha Rueter
SIBS is funded by grants for the US government: NIMH, NIDA, NIAAA
Foundation
Sibling Interaction Behavior Study (SIBS)
Participants
N = 617 families, each with two participating children.
Elder child, M age = 16.01 years.
Younger child, M age = 13.69 years.
N = 409 families: Child(ren) not genetically related to parents.
N = 285 families: Both children adopted.
N = 124 families: 1 child adopted, 1 child not adopted.
N = 208 families: Children genetically related to parents.
Foundation
Family communication
communication and
and adoption
adoption status
status
Family
interact.
directly
associated?
Control
Messages
Listening Warmth
Family
Communication
Child
Adjustment
Family Adoption Status
(Adoptive or Non-adoptive family)
Rueter
& Koerner,
JMF,
2008
Rueter
et al, JFP,
in press
Foundation
Family Communication Patterns Theory
(Koerner & Fitzpatrick, 2004)
Optimal family functioning requires that members achieve a
shared social reality
Shared social reality exists when family members
(A) Agree.
(B) Accurately perceive their agreement.
Foundation
Family Communication Patterns Theory
Family
Communication
Family
Communication
Parent-child
genetic
relatedness
Family Shared
Social Reality
Child
Child Adjustment
Adjustment
Foundation
Family Communication Patterns Theory
(Koerner & Fitzpatrick, 2004)
Shared Social Reality
Achieved through reliance on a combination of 2 orientations.
Conversation Orientation: Emphasizes discussion
to achieve shared social reality.
Conformity Orientation: Emphasizes looking to an
authority to achieve shared social reality.
Foundation
Family Communication Patterns (FCP)
High
Protective
Consensual
Laissez-Faire
Pluralistic
Low
High
Conversation Orientation
Findings: Adjustment
Measuring Family Communication Patterns
Observed
Control
M
F
O
Y
Observed
Communication
M
F
O
Y
Observed
Listening
M
F
O
Y
Observed
Warmth
M
F
O
Y
Family
Communication
Patterns
(4 Latent Classes)
Older Sex
Younger Sex
Rueter & Koerner, JMF, 2008
Laissez Faire
Rueter & Koerner, JMF, 2008
Findings: Adjustment
Family Communication Pattern
and adoption status directly associated?
Control Communication
Listening Warmth
Family
Communication
Pattern
Parent-child genetic relatedness
(Adoptive or Non-adoptive family)
Dark Bars:
Adoptive
Light Bars:
Non-adoptive
Rueter & Koerner, JMF, 2008
Findings: Adjustment
Family communication
communication and
and genetic
genetic relatedness
relatedness
Family
interact.
directly
associated?
Control
Messages
Listening Warmth
Family
Communication
Pattern
Parent-child genetic relatedness
(Adoptive or Non-adoptive family)
Child
Adjustment
Findings: Adjustment
Family communication and genetic relatedness
interact.
Control
Messages
Listening Warmth
Family
Communication
Pattern
Child
Externalizing
Behavior
Parent-child genetic relatedness
(Adoptive or Non-adoptive family)
Findings: Adjustment
Measuring child externalizing behavior
Observed
Observed
Defiance Defiance
to Mother
SelfReported
to Father Delinquency
Teacher
Reported
Diagnosed
Symptoms
Externalizing Externalizing
Older child
Externalizing Behavior
(2 Latent Classes)
Older Sex
Older Age
Rueter & Koerner, JMF, 2008
Findings: Adjustment
Estimate the proportion of
children placed in the high externalizing subgroup
for each Family Communication Pattern
Control Communication Listening Warmth
Family
Communication
Pattern
HS
to M
HS
to F
DBI
Ext
Ext
(Teacher) (Symptoms)
Child
Externalizing
Behavior
Findings: Adjustment
Hypothesized externalizing levels by
Family Communication Pattern
Protective
Moderate externalizing
Laissez-Faire
Highest externalizing
Consensual
Lowest externalizing
Pluralistic
Moderate externalizing
Conversation Orientation
Findings: Adjustment
Family Communication Pattern and
genetic relatedness interact.
Control
Messages
Listening Warmth
Family
Communication
Pattern
Child
Externalizing
Behavior
Parent-child genetic relatedness
(Adoptive or Non-adoptive family)
Findings: Adjustment
Hypothesized externalizing levels by
Family Communication Pattern and genetic relatedness
Protective
Consensual
Adopted higher
Adopted similar
than non-adopted
to non-adopted
Laissez-Faire
Pluralistic
Adopted higher
Adopted similar
than non-adopted
to non-adopted
Conversation Orientation
Proportion of Children placed in the
High Externalizing Subgroup
across Family Communication Patterns by Adoption Status
26.9%
18.5%
16.7%
12.3%
7.8%
2.6%
4.1%
0.0%
Rueter & Koerner, JMF, 2008
Family Communication Patterns Theory
and parent-child genetic relatedness
Family
Communication
Pattern
Family Shared
Social Reality
Parent-child
genetic
relatedness
Child
Adjustment
Findings: Agreement
The Role of Shared Social Reality
Family
Communication
Pattern
Family Shared
Social Reality
Parent-child
genetic
relatedness
Findings: Agreement
Measuring Shared Social Reality
Sibling Shared Social Alcohol Expectancies
Older and younger sibling responses to 6 questions:
Q1. Drinking is a good way to celebrate special occasions.
Q2. Drinking can help you feel less shy.
Q3. Drinking can make you feel more confident.
Q4. Drinking with others is a good way to have fun.
Q5. Drinking makes parties more fun.
Q6. Drinking makes it easier to talk to people at parties.
Items from the Alcohol Expectancies Questionnaire (Brown et al., 1987).
Rueter & Koerner, ISSBD, 2008
Findings: Agreement
Statistical Model of Sibling Shared Social Reality
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q5
Q6
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q5
Q6
Younger
Social Alcohol
Expectancies
Older
Social Alcohol
Expectancies
Older Sex
Younger Sex
Older Age
Younger Age
Rueter & Koerner, ISSBD, 2008
Findings: Agreement
The Role of Shared Social Reality
Family
Communication
Pattern
Sibling Shared
Social Reality
Sibling
genetic
relatedness
Findings: Agreement
Direct effect of genetic relatedness
Adoptive siblings (N = 409)
Older
Social Alcohol
Expectancies
.07
(t = 1.32)
Younger
Social Alcohol
Expectancies
Non-adoptive siblings (N = 208)
Older
Social Alcohol
Expectancies
.44
(t = 3.64)
Younger
Social Alcohol
Expectancies
c2 (df = 1) = 8.81, P < .05
Rueter & Koerner, ISSBD, 2008
Findings: Agreement
Direct effect of Family Communication Pattern
Family emphasizes conversation (N = 230)
Older
Social Alcohol
Expectancies
.42
(t = 4.27)
Younger
Social Alcohol
Expectancies
Family does not emphasize conversation (N = 386)
Older
Social Alcohol
Expectancies
.02
(t = .44)
Younger
Social Alcohol
Expectancies
c2 (df = 1) = 13.92, P < .05
Rueter & Koerner, ISSBD, 2008
Findings: Agreement
Interaction between FCP and genetic relatedness:
Adoptive siblings
Family emphasizes conversation (N = 158)
Older
Social Alcohol
Expectancies
.36
(t = 3.64)
Younger
Social Alcohol
Expectancies
Family does not emphasize conversation (N = 250)
Older
Social Alcohol
Expectancies
-.04
(t = -.71)
Younger
Social Alcohol
Expectancies
c2 (df = 1) = 13.26, P < .05
Rueter & Koerner, ISSBD, 2008
Findings: Agreement
Interaction between FCP and genetic relatedness:
Non-adoptive siblings
Family emphasizes conversation (N = 72)
Older
Social Alcohol
Expectancies
.71
(t = 2.55)
Younger
Social Alcohol
Expectancies
Family does not emphasize conversation (N = 136)
Older
Social Alcohol
Expectancies
.35
(t = 2.34)
Younger
Social Alcohol
Expectancies
c2 (df = 1) = 1.77, P > .05)
Rueter & Koerner, ISSBD, 2008
Findings: Agreement
The Role of Shared Social Reality
Family
Communication
Pattern
Sibling Shared
Social Reality
Sibling
genetic
relatedness
Future Directions
Family
Communication
Pattern
Family Shared
Social Reality
Parent-child
genetic
relatedness
Child
Adjustment