Family communication patterns and relationship quality between emerging adults and their parents

Abstract

Few researchers have examined how family communication patterns influence child help-seeking behaviors and child help-providing behaviors in relation to the parent-child relationship during the period of emerging adulthood. In the current study we utilized a latent profile analysis to determine family communication pattern types from two standard communication orientations (i.e., conversation orientation and conformity orientation). We also examined how pattern types were associated with parent-emerging adult relationship quality and help/support seeking/providing behavior within the family during the period of emerging adulthood as reported by emerging adults ( n = 129) and one of their parental figures ( n = 129). The data supported two family communication types (i.e., protective and pluralistic) created from conversation and conformity orientation scores and we utilized them to differentiate between relationship qualities and help/support seeking/providing behavior when those behaviors were reported by emerging adults but not their parental figures.