{"id":527,"date":"2024-12-13T13:34:51","date_gmt":"2024-12-13T13:34:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/familycommunication\/?page_id=527"},"modified":"2025-11-24T11:38:25","modified_gmt":"2025-11-24T11:38:25","slug":"chapter-7","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/routledgelearning.com\/familycommunication\/chapter-7\/","title":{"rendered":"Chapter 7"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
I was part of a more recent study on forgiveness where we looked at forgiveness within stepfamilies. Challenges and conflicts experienced by stepfamilies are well documented, but researchers are increasingly focusing on communication processes that facilitate resilience in these types of relationships. In other contexts, communicating forgiveness has been linked to relational healing after transgressions or adversity. In our study, we sought to better understand how stepchildren talk about the role of forgiveness in the development of positive adult stepchild\u2013stepparent relationships. Data were drawn from interviews with adult stepchildren who have a positive relationship with a stepparent. Following an interpretive analysis, we identified five themes representing the ways forgiveness was conceptualized and enacted in these positive stepchild\u2013stepparent relationships: forgiveness as (a) healing family connections, (b) explicit negotiation, (c) maturation and acceptance, (d) a response to vulnerability and compassion, and (e) evidence of relational growth. To read more about our study please search for Discourses of forgiveness and resilience in stepchild\u2013stepparent relationships in the 2018 Journal of Applied Communication Research, volume 46. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Waldron, V. R., Braithwaite, D. O., Oliver, B. M., Kloeber, D. N., & Marsh, J.S. (2018). Discourses of forgiveness and resilience in stepchild\u2013stepparent relationships. Journal of<\/em> Applied Communication Research<\/em>, 46<\/em>(5), 561\u2013582. <\/p>\n\n\n\nFlashcards<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n Codification<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n is explicit communication that may involve anything from love letters, to written\u00a0 rules for fighting, to negotiating and writing up a marital or family contract.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/button>\n <\/div>\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n Commitment<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n refers to an ongoing, intentional choice to\u00a0maintain\u00a0a relationship.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/button>\n <\/div>\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n Commitment talk\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n refers to the verbal and nonverbal communication that supports feelings of\u00a0 secure connection and love<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/button>\n <\/div>\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n Debriefing conversations<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n or talk about how their day unfolded, are more likely to experience\u00a0 marital satisfaction<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/button>\n <\/div>\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n Deception<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n involves communicating or withholding information intentionally for the purpose of\u00a0 creating a false belief<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/button>\n <\/div>\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n Forgiveness<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n is defined as: (a) a relational process in which harm is acknowledged by one or\u00a0 both parties, (b) the harmed party extends mercy to the transgressor, (c) one or both\u00a0 experience a transformation of negative emotions to positive emotions, (d) the meaning\u00a0 of the relationship is renegotiated, and (e) reconciliation becomes possible.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/button>\n <\/div>\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n Intimacy<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n is the outcome of an interpersonal, transactional process that involves two individuals\u00a0 communicating in transparent and responsive ways<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/button>\n <\/div>\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n Jealousy<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n is an aversive emotion that may involve negative thoughts and feelings of insecurity,\u00a0 anger, sadness, and fear induced by the threat or actual loss of a relationship with another\u00a0 person<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/button>\n <\/div>\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n Love maps<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n which reflect a deep knowledge of mundane and intimate aspects about\u00a0a partner\u2019s \u00a0psychological world.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/button>\n <\/div>\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n Moral commitment<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n based on an obligation to the partner<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/button>\n <\/div>\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n Personal commitment<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n based on the rewards inherent to the relationship itself<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/button>\n <\/div>\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n Sacrifice<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n involves choosing to give up something\u00a0in order to\u00a0benefit\u00a0another person. This\u00a0 involves\u00a0a high level\u00a0of commitment and effort<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/button>\n <\/div>\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n Self-disclosure\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n occurs when one person intentionally reveals personal or\u00a0private information\u00a0 about themself to one or more persons that the others would not discover otherwise<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/button>\n <\/div>\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n Sexual communication<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n occurs when individuals exchange verbal and nonverbal messages in a\u00a0 mutual effort to co-create meaning about sexual beliefs, attitudes, values, and\u00a0behavior<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/button>\n <\/div>\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n Structural commitment<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \n\n\nbased on\u00a0barriers to leaving the relationship and the absence of\u00a0viable\u00a0 alternatives<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/button>\n <\/div>\n\n \n Press Enter or Space to flip the card<\/div><\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
Codification<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
is explicit communication that may involve anything from love letters, to written\u00a0 rules for fighting, to negotiating and writing up a marital or family contract.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/button>\n <\/div>\n\n \n \n
Commitment<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
refers to an ongoing, intentional choice to\u00a0maintain\u00a0a relationship.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/button>\n <\/div>\n\n \n \n
Commitment talk\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
refers to the verbal and nonverbal communication that supports feelings of\u00a0 secure connection and love<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/button>\n <\/div>\n\n \n \n
Debriefing conversations<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
or talk about how their day unfolded, are more likely to experience\u00a0 marital satisfaction<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/button>\n <\/div>\n\n \n \n
Deception<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
involves communicating or withholding information intentionally for the purpose of\u00a0 creating a false belief<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/button>\n <\/div>\n\n \n \n
Forgiveness<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
is defined as: (a) a relational process in which harm is acknowledged by one or\u00a0 both parties, (b) the harmed party extends mercy to the transgressor, (c) one or both\u00a0 experience a transformation of negative emotions to positive emotions, (d) the meaning\u00a0 of the relationship is renegotiated, and (e) reconciliation becomes possible.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/button>\n <\/div>\n\n \n \n
Intimacy<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
is the outcome of an interpersonal, transactional process that involves two individuals\u00a0 communicating in transparent and responsive ways<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/button>\n <\/div>\n\n \n \n
Jealousy<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
is an aversive emotion that may involve negative thoughts and feelings of insecurity,\u00a0 anger, sadness, and fear induced by the threat or actual loss of a relationship with another\u00a0 person<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/button>\n <\/div>\n\n \n \n
Love maps<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
which reflect a deep knowledge of mundane and intimate aspects about\u00a0a partner\u2019s \u00a0psychological world.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/button>\n <\/div>\n\n \n \n
Moral commitment<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
based on an obligation to the partner<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/button>\n <\/div>\n\n \n \n
Personal commitment<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
based on the rewards inherent to the relationship itself<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/button>\n <\/div>\n\n \n \n
Sacrifice<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
involves choosing to give up something\u00a0in order to\u00a0benefit\u00a0another person. This\u00a0 involves\u00a0a high level\u00a0of commitment and effort<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/button>\n <\/div>\n\n \n \n
Self-disclosure\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
occurs when one person intentionally reveals personal or\u00a0private information\u00a0 about themself to one or more persons that the others would not discover otherwise<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/button>\n <\/div>\n\n \n \n
Sexual communication<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
occurs when individuals exchange verbal and nonverbal messages in a\u00a0 mutual effort to co-create meaning about sexual beliefs, attitudes, values, and\u00a0behavior<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/button>\n <\/div>\n\n \n \n
Structural commitment<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n