Taken directly from Ascan F. Koerner & Paul Schrodt’s 2014 introduction to the special issue on family communication patterns theory in the Journal of Family Communication, page 7 they stated, “The effects that [conversation and conformity orientations] have on family behaviors and outcomes are often dependent on one another. That is, rather than having two simple main effects that are additive, these two dimensions often interact with one another such that the impact of conversation orientation on family outcomes is moderated by the degree of conformity orientation of the family, and vice versa. To predict the influence of family communication patterns on family outcomes, therefore, it is rarely sufficient to investigate only one dimension without assessing the other dimension as well. Thus, the family types that result from crossing the two dimensions are not just convenient ways to describe the main effects of conversation orientation and conformity orientation, but they also encapsulate important qualitative differences between family types. Specifically, Family Communication Patterns Theory describes four family types [pluralistic, consensual, protective, and laissez-faire] that emerge from the interaction of conversation and conformity orientations.” Read before for a detailed explanation of each family type.
Flashcards
Cohesion
is defined as the emotional bonding and closeness that family members experience with each other
Communication
is a symbolic, transactional process of creating and sharing meanings
Conformity orientation
refers to the degree to which family communication stresses a climate of similarity of beliefs, values, and attitudes
Conversation orientation
references the degree to which all family members are encouraged to participate in unrestrained interaction about a wide range of topics
Discourse-dependence
relationships that do not have well-developed cultural models to guide them
Family of origin
refers to the family or families in which a person is raised, generally considered to be the earliest and most powerful influence on personal development, and a primary source of individual and family identity and expectations
Family theme
is a prominent pattern of feelings, motives, fantasies, and understandings grouped around a particular locus of concern in a family system
Flexibility
can be defined as the amount of adaptability and change in a family’s roles, relationships, and rules
Function
is something a system must do, or an operation it must perform, to establish family identity and enact family life
Genogram
is a multigenerational map or model that visually depicts family relationships
Metacommunication
occurs when people communicate about their communication, giving verbal and nonverbal indications about how messages should be interpreted
Schemas
represent organized knowledge structures that individuals use to make sense of different phenomena.
Social Construction
focuses on how we co-create our social world and relationships, including our families
