The study examined the relationship between adult sons' responses to their fathers' son-directed messages and satisfaction with those relationships. Descriptions of father messages that typified the communication between fathers and sons were solicited from adult males. Adjectives and phrases were derived from these descriptions and were presented to a second sample in seven-point bipolar adjective form. Factor analysis yielded three factors labeled "Supportive-Interest," "Criticism," and "Sarcasm." All three factors correlated significantly with adult sons' ratings of satisfaction with their son-father relationship. Multiple regression, using the three factors as predictors, accounted for approximately 60% of the variance in satisfaction scores.
MICHAEL J. BEATTYis Professor of Communication, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH 44115. JEAN A. DOBOS is Assistant Professor of Communication, Cleveland State University, Clevelad, OH 44115. The authors are indebted to Jill Rudd for her assstance in data collection. This study was supported by the Collge of Arts and Sciences' Senior Scholar Program, Cleveland State University.A lthough a substantial body of research literature focused on the importance of parent-child interactions has accumulated over the past four decades (cf., Schickedanz, Hansen, & Forsyth, 1990), the nature and consequences of interpersonal relationships between adults and their parents are comparatively understudied. In particular, little is known regarding the interactions between fathers and their adult sons. These relationships, however, play a central role in the emergent men's literature (Blywhich the resolution of dissatisfying father-adult son relationships is asserted as the initial, necessary step in the transformation of men.In the present study, adult males' satisfaction with their relationships with their fathers was examined. Descriptions of their fathers' interaction styles were solicited from adult males, from which a set of bipolar adjective scales was constructed and factor analyzed. The resulting factors were used to predict sons' satisfaction with the father-son relationship.