Buy Now, Pay Later: Family Communication Patterns Theory, Parental Financial Support, and Emerging Adults’ Openness about Credit Card Behaviors

Abstract

Guided by family communication patterns (FCP) theory, the current study investigated the ways that family interaction contributes to emerging adults’ likelihood to discuss their credit card behaviors with their parents. Data from 188 emerging adults were analyzed. Results indicated that family conversation orientation and the interaction of family conversation and conformity orientation were significantly related to emerging adults’ openness about their credit card behaviors. Further, emerging adults who paid their own credit cards shared less with their parents about their credit card behaviors. Although not statistically significant, moderation analyses suggested that emerging adults who paid their own credit card bills were perhaps less influenced by FCPs regarding openness with their parent(s) about their credit card use than emerging adults whose parents paid their credit card bills. These findings add to the literature on family openness regarding credit card behaviors by examining this phenomenon through a FCP theory lens.