Negative Communication Patterns Research Articles

Dismantling study of prevention and relationship education program: The effects of a structured communication intervention.

Couples Relationship Education (CRE) programs have been shown to improve many facets of relationship functioning; however, less is known about the specific effects of various components of CRE programs. The current study examined two versions of the Prevention and Relationship Education Program (PREP), one where a structured communication intervention was taught and one where it was not. Outcome variables included couples' communication behaviors, communication patterns, and overall relationship adjustment. Twenty-six couples (52 participants) completed a 4-week, 12-hr PREP workshop. Generally, the couples reported low to moderate relationship distress. Study measures were completed preintervention, 4-6 weeks post, and 6 months post. Couples in the structured communication condition reported more positive and fewer negative communication behaviors at 6-month follow up and they reported faster gains in positive communication behaviors compared with the no structured communication group. Both groups reported decreased negative communication patterns and no change in relationship adjustment; these changes were statistically similar for both groups. Implications for couples' communications and relationship education programs are discussed.

어머니의 정서표현 양가성과 모-자녀 간 의사소통이 남녀 청소년의 우울에 미치는 영향

This study explored the effects of maternal ambivalence over emotional expressiveness (AEE) and mother-adolescent communication on adolescent depression (depressed affect, positive affect, somatic symptoms and activity inhibition, interpersonal difficulties). Data were taken from 233 middle school students (128 boys, 105 girls) and their mothers. Regression analyses showed varying gender differences in the relationships among these variables. Boys with high maternal AEE had lower positive affect, and higher depressive affect, somatic symptoms and activity inhibition, and interpersonal difficulties, whereas girls` moods were not influenced by maternal AEE. In addition, boys with problems in mother-dolescent communication exhibited lower positive affect, higher depressed affect and interpersonal difficulties, but open communication was not related to any depressive symptoms. The mother-adolescent communication type did not appear to be associated with depression in girls either. Both boys and girls both had less open communication and more problem communication with mothers experiencing high AEE. Problem communication with mothers partially mediated the relationship between maternal AEE and interpersonal difficulties in boys only. Examination of maternal ambivalence over emotional expressiveness provides a deeper context for our understanding of negative family communication patterns and the psychological consequences, especially in mother-adolescent boy dyads.

Estilos de comunicación intrafamiliar en jóvenes adictos de una Clínica de Medicina Familiar de la ciudad de México

<p><strong><em>Resumen</em></strong></p><p><strong>Objetivo:</strong> identificar los estilos de comunicación que prevalecen en las familias con hijos adictos y como se traducen en conductas que contribuyen o no a mantener las adicciones de acuerdo con el significado atribuido por las familias. <strong>Material y métodos:</strong> estudio cualitativo e interpretativo de tres familias con adolescentes adictos, los cuales acuden a la Unidad de Medicina Familiar (UMF) “Gustavo A. Madero” del Instituto de Seguridad y Servicios Sociales de los Trabajadores del Estado (ISSSTE). Se realizó un muestreo no aleatorio, por conveniencia de seis personas: tres madres y tres hijos, utilizando la técnica de entrevistas semiestructuradas y audiograbadas; la participación fue voluntaria, se protegió su identidad con el anonimato, se respetó su dignidad y se aseguró la confidencialidad de sus testimonios. <strong>Resultados:</strong> los adolescentes adictos de las tres familias crecieron en hogares con patrones de comunicación negativos y violentos, asociados a conductas disfuncionales (bajo rendimiento escolar, relaciones interpersonales agresivas así como sentimientos de desconfianza, inseguridad, y abandono), las cuales afectaron su desarrollo cognitivo, relacional y emocional. En este contexto el consumo de sustancias adictivas aparece como un mecanismo de evasión ante la disyuntiva de enfrentar y modificar sus pautas de interacción. De esta manera, también se explica el papel homeostático de la adicción con el propósito de desviar la atención sobre otra situación familiar. <strong>Conclusiones:</strong> con patrones de comunicación más reflexivos y propositivos, cambian los estilos para afrontar los conflictos, evitando que se hagan crónicos. La comunicación adecuada protege a las familias e influye en otros contextos minimizando las influencias sociales adversas.</p>

From the Editors’ Desk: Growing Old in America: Lessons From Our Japanese Obaachan

From the Editors’ Desk: Growing Old in America: Lessons From Our Japanese Obaachan

Conflicts and communication between high-achieving Chinese American adolescents and their parents

Drawing on in-depth interview data collected on 18 high-achieving Chinese American students, the authors examine domains of acculturation-based conflicts, parent and child internal conflicts, and conflict resolution in their families. Their analyses show that well-established negative communication patterns in educational expectations, divergent attitudes toward other races and country of origin, and cultural and language barriers contributed to parent-child conflicts. Their findings also illustrate important internal conflicts both adolescents and parents had along the cultural tightrope of autonomy and relatedness. Finally, the vertical in-group conflict resolution style that was evidenced in youths' accounts raises questions about cultural differences in constructive versus destructive conflict resolution styles.

Toward a Better Understanding of Psychological Well‐Being in Dementia Caregivers: The Link Between Marital Communication and Depression

Dementia research has frequently documented high rates of caregiver depression and distress in spouses providing care for a partner suffering from dementia. However, the role of marital communication in understanding caregiver distress has not been examined sufficiently. Studies with healthy couples demonstrated an association between marital communication and the partners' psychological well-being, depressiveness, respectively (e.g., Heene, Buysee, & Van Oost, 2005). The current study investigates the relationship between caregiver depression and communication in 37 couples in which the wives care for their partners with dementia. Nonsequential and sequential analyses revealed significant correlations between caregiver depression and marital communication quality. Caregivers whose husbands used more positive communication reported less depression and distress. Additionally, caregiver depression was negatively correlated with rates of positive reciprocal communication indicating dependence between the couples' interaction patterns. This study is one of the first to illustrate the relevance of spousal communication in understanding caregiver distress and depression.

Fiery wives and icy husbands: Pre-marital counseling and covenant marriage as buffers against effects of childhood abuse on gendered marital communication?

We examine relationships between childhood abuse and two maladaptive marital communication patterns – hostile and withdrawing – and test whether covenant marriage or pre-marital counseling mediate the effects of childhood abuse. Drawing on a sample from the Marriage Matters (1997–2004) data, we find both gendered differences in communication and in the relationship between childhood abuse and negative communication patterns. Wives are more likely to use a hostile style of communication, whereas husbands are more likely to use a withdrawing style. We also find that childhood abuse affects hostile communication for both spouses but influences only wives’ withdrawing. Neither covenant marriage nor pre-marital counseling is associated with hostile communication for either spouse. Covenant marriage increases husbands’ withdrawal from conflict, whereas pre-marital counseling increases the use of withdrawing communication in both wives and husbands.

Revisiting the relationship between depressive symptoms and marital communication using an experimental paradigm: The moderating effect of acute sad mood

Although research has consistently demonstrated an association between depression and negative marital interactions, it remains unclear whether marital behaviors are specifically associated with depression, above and beyond the effects of a troubled marital relationship. Past research investigating this question has produced inconsistent results. In the present study, we re-examine this question and suggest that one possible reason for past inconsistencies is that across different investigations, samples may have differed in the acute mood state of the depressed partner. It is possible that the marital communication behaviors associated with depression only become evident during acute sad mood states. Seventy-one heterosexual couples who varied on marital satisfaction levels and wife depressive symptoms were videotaped during two marital problem-solving discussions, one of which was preceded by a sad mood induction for the wife. As predicted, results revealed a unique relationship between negative communication patterns and depressive symptoms only when wives had received a sad mood induction. Findings are discussed in light of interpersonal theories of depression.

Divorce and Its Impact on the Intimate Relationships of Young Adults

The purpose of this study was to assess the long-term impact of experiencing parental divorce on young adult intimate relationships. Differences in intimacy levels and positive and negative communication patterns were assessed in four types of couples: those in which neither person experienced parental divorce, only the man experienced parental divorce or both people experienced parental divorce. Subjects were 136 undergraduate psychology students between the ages of 18 and 30 who have been in a relationship for at least three months. They completed questionnaires assessing intimacy and communication patterns in their current intimate relationship. Couples in which the woman experienced parental divorce reported significantly lower levels of intimacy and mutually constructive communication and higher levels of demand-withdrawal patterns and mutual avoidance of conflict. In contrast, divorce did not appear to influence intimacy and communication patterns of couples in which the young adult man experienced parental divorce. Their intimacy levels and communication patterns were not significantly different from those in couples in which neither person experienced parental divorce. Contrary to predictions, at this developmental stage there was not a compounded effect on intimacy and communication patterns when both partners experienced their parents divorce. Implications of this study, directions for future research, and limitations are discussed.

Factors Influencing Expressed Emotion Found Between Chinese Caregivers and Their Relatives with Schizophrenia in Hong Kong

Objectives: Based on the concept of Expressed Emotion (EE), this study attempted to explore the underlying socio-cultural factors that were related to the unique patterns of communication found between Chinese caregivers and their relatives with schizophrenia. Methods: Twelve caregivers were given in-depth interviews, and the transcripts were content-analyzed to delineate the unique communication patterns found between caregivers and their relatives with schizophrenia. Thematic analyses were also performed to extricate the possible underlying factors associated with such unique communication patterns. Results: While certain themes such as the lack of knowledge of mental illness, attribution of symptoms to personality causes and feelings of psychological burdens were closely associated with negative communication patterns of critical comments, hostility and emotional over-involvement, parental commitment, knowledge of mental illness and recognition of positive attributes in relatives were linked to positive communication patterns of warmth and optimism towards illness. Discussions: Socio-cultural factors such as stigma of mental illness, Confucian work ethics, parental self-sacrificing and devoted behaviors, and acceptance of fate were put forward to explain the findings. Implications for social work practices were discussed.

Atopic dermatitis and stress: Possible role of negative communication with significant others

Clinical reports have related stressful social interactions to the course of atopic dermatitis (AD). Controlled behavioral observations of interaction patterns of AD patients and their significant others, however, were lacking. In two studies, adult AD patients and their mothers (N1 = 26) or partners (N2 = 67) engaged in a discussion of a mutual problem. Their verbal and nonverbal communication behavior was analyzed with a reliable standardized interactional coding system and compared to that of control dyads (N1 = 18, N2 = 28). Although AD patients and their significant others did not differ from controls in their self-reported satisfaction with the relationship, the behavioral observations showed less positive and more negative communication patterns compared to the control dyads. Negative interactions with significant others may prevent the solution of everyday problems and may add to the patients' stress level.

Remedying Dysfunctional Marital Communication

This article delineates interventions that a therapist may use in interviews with couples to help them identify, own responsibility for, and modify problematic interactional communication. Early removal of these negative communication patterns tends to accelerate the couple's progress in therapy.

A controlled evaluation of problem-solving communication training with parent-adolescent conflict

Thirty-three families experiencing parent-adolescent conflict received problem-solving communication training, alternative family therapy, or a wait-list condition. Problem-solving communication training consisted of training in skills for negotiating solutions to specific disputes, remediation of negative communication patterns, cognitive restructuring of inappropriate attitudes, and practive in applying negotiation-communication skills at home. Alternative family therapy consisted of a heterogeneous blend of dynamic, family systems, and electic family therapy practiced at the clinic where the study took place. Both treatments resulted in significant reductions in self-reported disputes and conflictual communication at home; however, only problem-solving communication training resulted in significant improvements in problem-solving communication behavior objectively coded during family discussions. Most of the significant treatment effects were maintained at a 10-week follow-up. The results support the effectiveness of problem-solving communication training in ameliorating parent-adolescent conflict.