Social support expectations and strategic ambiguity in parent-young adult child divorce-related stressor conversations

Tara G. Mcmanus, Jon F. Nussbaum

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

7 Scopus citations

Abstract

With communication privacy management and the divorce disclosure model as guiding frameworks, this study identified the stressors postdivorce families discussed as they mature, elucidated the types of social support parents and young adult children expected regarding divorce-related stress, and tested whether motivational and contextual factors prompted parents' use of strategic ambiguity while discussing stressors. By examining parent-child divorce-related stressor conversations in a controlled lab setting, results indicated that a decade after parental divorce, families continued to manage a variety of stressors. Additionally, parents and young adults had strong expectations for nurturant, informational, and tangible support from one another. Yet, social support expectations did not affect parents' self-reported use of strategic ambiguity nor children's perceptions of parents' communication.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)244-270
Number of pages27
JournalJournal of Divorce and Remarriage
Volume52
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - May 2011

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Demography
  • Law

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