Adult Child Perceptions of Communication and Humor When the Parent Is Diagnosed with Cancer: A Suggestive Perspective from Communication Theory

Harzold, Elizabeth; Sparks, Lisa

doi:10.1080/17459430600965924

Cited by 11 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…Despite the documented benefit of humor in stressful contexts (DiCioccio, 2015), deftly accomplishing humor is challenging, particularly in stressful contexts such as cancer management (Harzold & Sparks, 2006). Prior research suggests that humor is an alternative logic used to enact resilience (Villagran et al, 2013).…”

Section: New Considerations Among Ctr Processesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Furthermore, communication efficacy was not associated with humor. This may suggest that individuals managing cancer recognize that attempts at humor can result poorly, and that individuals are less comfortable using cancer-related humor (Harzold & Sparks, 2006). Turning to outcomes, perhaps use of humor makes salient the changes and difficult circumstances of the cancer treatment trajectory.…”

Section: New Considerations Among Ctr Processesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Turning to outcomes, perhaps use of humor makes salient the changes and difficult circumstances of the cancer treatment trajectory. One investigation of the use of humor in cancer communication found that humor can provide comfort when relaying uncomfortable or unsettling news (Harzold & Sparks, 2006). Taken together, humor has the capability of providing comfort, but may be used at difficult or awkward moments.…”

Section: New Considerations Among Ctr Processesmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Communicating resilience: predictors and outcomes of dyadic communication resilience processes among both cancer patients and cancer partners

Venetis

Chernichky-Karcher

Lillie

2019

Journal of Applied Communication Research

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The communication theory of resilience describes five communication processes that serve to promote resilience. This research examines predictors and outcomes of the five resilience processes. This study examines pathways between communication efficacy and relational quality to dyadic communicative resilience processes and from these processes to outcomes of health management and evaluations of dyadic coping. Participants (N = 584) include cancer patients (n = 312) and partners of cancer patients (n = 272). Structural equation analyses revealed that for both patients and partners, increased communication efficacy positively predicts the majority of the communication resilience processes and increased relational quality positively predicts all processes. Although many of the resilience processes are positively associated with increased health management and evaluations of dyadic coping, one process was negatively associated with both study outcomes. Implications, limitations, and future directions are discussed.

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Section: New Considerations Among Ctr Processesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: New Considerations Among Ctr Processesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: New Considerations Among Ctr Processesmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Communicating resilience: predictors and outcomes of dyadic communication resilience processes among both cancer patients and cancer partners

Venetis

Chernichky-Karcher

Lillie

2019

Journal of Applied Communication Research

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“…Research does indicate that individuals who are relationally tied to someone with cancer often use humor as a coping strategy (Harzold, & Sparks, 2006;Sparks-Bethea, Travis, & Pecchioni, 2000). Organizational research indicates that disclosure, or nondisclosure, of cancer status to coworkers varies based on the relationship between the sick individual and the coworker (Wittenberg-Lyles & Villagran, 2006).…”

Section: Cancermentioning

confidence: 98%

Can We Talk? How Learning of an Invisible Illness Impacts Forecasted Relational Outcomes

Horan

Martin²,

Smith

et al. 2009

Communication Studies

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Extant communication research investigating illnesses highlights the importance of benefits garnered from established relationships, such as social support. Yet, less is known about how illness impacts the development of new relationships. Thus, two commonly researched pervasive illnesses were selected (HIV and cancer) to discover how they impact forecasted relational outcomes. Using predicted outcome value theory (Sunnafrank, 1986), a convenience sample (average age of less than 20) assessed POV judgments and anticipated communication (anticipated amount of communication, information seeking, and intimacy) of a hypothetical target. It was found that POV judgments were significantly lower for HIVþ targets compared to cancer stricken and healthy targets. Yet, in contrast to POV judgments, significantly more communication was anticipated with a cancer-stricken individual compared to a healthy individual. Implications for illness and POV research are discussed.Individuals suffering from potentially life-threatening illnesses face a number of challenges. Most apparent is the fear and uncertainty related to their illness and mortality. Similarly, these individuals face daily challenges in the form of taking medication that may make them sick, financial adversities related to financing their health, fatigue, and an overall change in lifestyle. These hardships explain why sick individuals seek out the benefits offered from interpersonal relationships. Particularly, a number of studies indicate that the social support from existing relationships is a cherished and vital resource for sick individuals (e.g.Although prior research on sick individuals has highlighted the importance of support, how individuals disclose their sickness (e.g., Caughlin, Bute, et al., in press;Caughlin, Brashers, et al., 2008), how individuals make sense of their sickness identity (Harwood & Sparks, 2003), and how individuals manage illness-related uncertainty (e.g., Brashers et al., 2000), less research has focused on how sickness impacts new relational development. That is, prior work is rich in elucidating the importance of established relationships for sick individuals, but scholars are yet to fully focus on how illness impacts the development of new relationships. Thus, this study seeks to discover how learning of an illness impacts beliefs about future relational development.

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“…5. The use of humor is highly applicable to mourning, particularly in light of the fact that humor has been found to decrease physiological stress (Davidhizar & Shearer, 1996;Harzold & Sparks, 2006), psychological stress (Schwarzer, Boehmer, Luszczynska, Mohamed, & Knoll, 2005;Wanzer, Sparks, & Frymier, 2005), and be an effective coping mechanism when dealing with stressful situations (Buffum & Brod, 1998;du Pre, 1998;Wanzer, Booth-Butterfield, & Booth-Butterfield, 2005). 6.…”

Section: Declaration Of Conflicting Interestsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using Humor to Move Away From Abjection

Marmo

2010

Qualitative Inquiry

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The absence of discourses on death makes it difficult for those dealing with loss to communicate about their experiences. Our emotions vary even more when we see the corpse of a loved one at the funeral. It is overwhelming; a family member is gone, death, and you are faced with your own mortality, abjection. The author recently experienced the death of her grandmother and confronted her own abjection. The author writes this story as a third way of knowing. The author wants to share her experience by offering a narrative blueprint of how her family used humor to more effectively cope. In addition, this story fills a gap in the current literature; humor has been studied minimally in regard to dealing with death. Humor can be an effective way to ease tensions, reduce stress, and open lines of communication among family members when they are faced with death and abjection.

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Adult Child Perceptions of Communication and Humor When the Parent Is Diagnosed with Cancer: A Suggestive Perspective from Communication Theory

Cited by 11 publications

References 24 publications

Communicating resilience: predictors and outcomes of dyadic communication resilience processes among both cancer patients and cancer partners

Communicating resilience: predictors and outcomes of dyadic communication resilience processes among both cancer patients and cancer partners

Can We Talk? How Learning of an Invisible Illness Impacts Forecasted Relational Outcomes

Using Humor to Move Away From Abjection

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