Disclosure and Relationship Satisfaction in Families

Abstract

The present study developed a theoretical framework for understanding the social mechanisms underlying disclosure and its link with relationship satisfaction in a full family design. A study among 262 intact families, consisting of 2 children and 2 adults and involving 1,048 individuals, applied the social relations model. Results showed that disclosure was more important to satisfaction in horizontal relationships than vertical ones. Further, relationship-specific disclosure was more important to satisfaction than dispositional disclosure. These results have implications for the examination of relationship regulation and maintenance in (non)voluntary relationships and the development of psychosocial problems in parentchild relationships.

Taking into Account the Quality of the Relationship in HIV Disclosure

“…trust) significantly correlated with positive disclosure outcomes. In the general self-disclosure literature it has previously been found that disclosure increases relationship satisfaction [41]. However, this research found that the quality of the relationship may moderate the effect of disclosing.…”

A Social Relations Model of Everyday Talk and Relational Satisfaction in Stepfamilies

“…This decision produced 12 observed scores (or frequencies) of everyday talk and 12 of satisfaction (6 relationships × 2 scales; cf. Branje, van Lieshout, & van Aken, 2005;Finkenauer et al, 2004). A single social relations model analysis was then conducted to partition the variance in everyday talk and satisfaction into actor, partner, and relationship effects for each latent construct, respectively (see Figure 1).…”

“…To date, most of the communication research on relational satisfaction has focused primarily on romantic and married couples (e.g., Caughlin, 2002;Caughlin & Huston, 2002;Caughlin, Huston, & Houts, 2000;Miller, Caughlin, & Huston, 2003), parent-child relationships (e.g., Caughlin & Afifi, 2004;Caughlin & Golish, 2002;Sillars, Koerner, & Fitzpatrick, 2005), and general family satisfaction (e.g., Caughlin, 2003). There is, however, more recent evidence documenting various associations among disclosure patterns and relational satisfaction in first-marriage families (e.g., Finkenauer, Engels, Branje, & Meeus, 2004). Using a social relations model, Finkenauer et al (2004) found that disclosure was more important to satisfaction in horizontal family relationships (e.g., spousal and sibling dyads) than in vertical ones (e.g., father-son, mother-daughter dyads).…”

“…There is, however, more recent evidence documenting various associations among disclosure patterns and relational satisfaction in first-marriage families (e.g., Finkenauer, Engels, Branje, & Meeus, 2004). Using a social relations model, Finkenauer et al (2004) found that disclosure was more important to satisfaction in horizontal family relationships (e.g., spousal and sibling dyads) than in vertical ones (e.g., father-son, mother-daughter dyads). Likewise, relationship-specific disclosure was more important to satisfaction than dispositional disclosure.…”

“…How can researchers examine everyday talk and relational satisfaction when stepfamily members coordinate thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, and when these patterns of interdependence are of fundamental importance to understanding such phenomena (Finkenauer et al, 2004;Kashy, Jellison, & Kenny, 2004;Kenny, Kashy, & Cook, 2006)? Historically, researchers have relied primarily on statistical analyses that require independence of observations, yet this tendency becomes problematic when one is interested in understanding holistic patterns of interaction among dyads, triads, or larger family groups.…”