When children are not genetically related to their

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 Mc. Gue, 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 and adoption status directly interact. 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 Parent-child genetic relatedness Family Shared Social Reality Child 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) Conformity Orientation High Low Protective Consensual Laissez-Faire Pluralistic Conversation Orientation High

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 and genetic 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 Defiance to Mother Self. Reported to Father Delinquency Teacher Reported Diagnosed Symptoms 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 (Teacher) (Symptoms) Child Externalizing Behavior

Findings: Adjustment Conformity Orientation 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 Conformity Orientation 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: Q 1. Drinking is a good way to celebrate special occasions. Q 2. Drinking can help you feel less shy. Q 3. Drinking can make you feel more confident. Q 4. Drinking with others is a good way to have fun. Q 5. Drinking makes parties more fun. Q 6. 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 Q 1 Q 2 Q 3 Q 4 Q 5 Q 6 Younger 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 c 2 (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 c 2 (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 c 2 (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 c 2 (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