TY - JOUR
T1 - Topic Valence and Ambiguity in Parent-Emerging Adult Child Postdivorce Discussions
AU - McManus, Tara G.
AU - Nussbaum, Jon F.
N1 - Funding Information:
Tara G. McManus is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication Studies at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Jon F. Nussbaum is a Professor in the Department of Communication Arts and Sciences at Pennsylvania State University. This study is a part of the first author’s dissertation directed by Jon F. Nussbaum at Penn State. The dissertation was conducted with the support of the Sparks Fellowship awarded by the College of the Liberal Arts at Penn State. The authors would like to thank the first author’s dissertation committee: Michelle Miller-Day, Denise Solomon, and Paul Amato, and our reviewers for their useful feedback. Correspondence to: Tara G. McManus, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway, Box 4052, Las Vegas, NV 89154, USA. E-mail: [email protected]
PY - 2013/4
Y1 - 2013/4
N2 - Communication privacy management theory maintains permeability rules manifest as communication strategies used during conversation. Although postdivorce families tend to privilege openness, this conclusion is based on recalled reports and single discussions about negatively valenced topics. To determine whether ambiguity functions as a manifestation of permeability rules and its effects on relational satisfaction and psychological well-being, 39 parent-emerging adult child dyads discussed one negatively valenced and one positively valenced postdivorce topic. Results indicated parents were ambiguous while discussing negatively and positively valenced topics, and children were perceptive of parents' ambiguity during the conversations. No differences were found between parents' use and children's perceptions of parents' ambiguity. Further, children's relational satisfaction and psychological well-being were affected by ambiguity in both discussions.
AB - Communication privacy management theory maintains permeability rules manifest as communication strategies used during conversation. Although postdivorce families tend to privilege openness, this conclusion is based on recalled reports and single discussions about negatively valenced topics. To determine whether ambiguity functions as a manifestation of permeability rules and its effects on relational satisfaction and psychological well-being, 39 parent-emerging adult child dyads discussed one negatively valenced and one positively valenced postdivorce topic. Results indicated parents were ambiguous while discussing negatively and positively valenced topics, and children were perceptive of parents' ambiguity during the conversations. No differences were found between parents' use and children's perceptions of parents' ambiguity. Further, children's relational satisfaction and psychological well-being were affected by ambiguity in both discussions.
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U2 - 10.1080/10510974.2011.646085
DO - 10.1080/10510974.2011.646085
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84875325903
SN - 1051-0974
VL - 64
SP - 195
EP - 217
JO - Communication Studies
JF - Communication Studies
IS - 2
ER -
