Negotiation of Dialectical Contradictions by Parents who have Experienced the Death of a Child

This study examines how bereaved parents experience communicating with individuals in their social network. The bereaved parents in this study experienced two dialectical contradictions: (a) between the physical absence of their child and the continuing presence and emotional bond with their deceased child; and (b) between being open or closed when deciding whether to talk about the deceased child to others. Results describe how parents communicatively negotiated these contradictions. The article concludes by discussing practical applications for bereaved parents, bereavement support groups, helping professionals, and individuals within the bereaved parents' social network.     

Bereaved Parents' Negotiation of Identity Following the Death of a Child

This study examines changes in bereaved parents' identities following the death of a child. The bereaved parents in this study experienced two dialectical contradictions of identity, which are: (a) a parent without a child to parent and (b) I'm an outsider-I'm an insider. Results describe how parents used communication to negotiate these contradictions of identity. Implications for the study of parental bereavement, communication, and identity are discussed.     

Crisis Communication Best Practices: Some Quibbles and Additions

The researchers adopted relational dialectics theory (Baxter &; Montgomery, 1996 Baxter, L. A. and Montgomery, B. M. 1996. Relating: Dialogues and dialectics, New York: Guilford Press.  [Google Scholar]) to examine the discourse of 37 bereaved parents. Research questions guiding the study were what dialectical contradictions do bereaved parents experience when communicating with their marital partner after their child's death and how do bereaved parents and their marital partners communicatively negotiate the dialectical contradictions they experience? Our analysis revealed that bereaved parents experienced a dialectical contradiction between trying to grieve their child's death together as a couple and apart as individuals. Likewise, parents experienced a contradiction between being both open and closed when talking with one another about their child's death. Results describe how parents negotiated these contradictions, and implications for professionals are discussed.     

Parent-Child Communication about Internet Use and Acceptance of Parental Authority

Structural equation modeling is applied to investigate how parents’ communication with their child about his or her Internet use is linked to the child’s acceptance of parental authority in the context of Internet use, and how this in turn is linked to the child’s social media behavior. This study surveyed children aged 13 to 18 and their mothers and fathers (N = 357 families) and found that acceptance of parental authority is a key factor in the effectiveness of parental mediation. It is recommended that parental mediation is studied as a dynamic process shaped by both parents and children.     

Autonomy and parent-child relationship satisfaction: the mediating role of communication competence

ABSTRACT

Research shows that autonomous individuals have greater psychological well-being and high-quality relationships. The present study, from a communication perspective, aimed to understand the dynamics between child autonomy, communication competence, and parent-child relationship satisfaction. Participants in this study were 169 parent-young adult child dyads. Results showed that autonomous children reported being more communicatively competent, and both themselves and their parents reported greater satisfaction. Further, mediation analyses showed that child autonomy was positively associated with children’s satisfaction with parents through their disclosure competence, and child autonomy was positively associated with parents’ satisfaction with children through child conflict management competence. Overall, the findings revealed that young adult child being autonomous was beneficial to both themselves and their parents.     

Parents’ information seeking during adolescent career development: a test of the theory of motivated information management

Parents are an important source of advice when adolescents are faced with decisions about postsecondary education and career planning; however, parents often need to seek information to facilitate their child’s career development. This study applies the theory of motivated information management (TMIM) to evaluate the decision-making process parents undergo in this context and tests the boundaries of TMIM by considering how individuals use face-to-face (FtF) and online sources to alleviate uncertainty-related anxieties. A community sample of parents (N?=?937) completed a survey regarding their information seeking behaviors surrounding their adolescent’s career development. Parents reported using both FtF and online sources to seek information about their child’s postsecondary plans, and they engaged in different evaluative processes depending on the source of information. Theoretical implications related to TMIM and practical implications related to parents as sources of information in adolescent career development are discussed.     

Centered but not Caught in the Middle: Stepchildren's Perceptions of Dialectical Contradictions in the Communication of Co-Parents

The researchers adopted a dialectical perspective to study how stepchildren experience and communicatively manage the perception of feeling caught in the middle between their parents who are living in different households. The metaphor of being caught in the middle is powerful for stepchildren and this metaphor animated their discourse. A central contribution of the present study was to understand the alternative to being caught in the middle and what this alternative means to stepchildren. Reflected in the discourse of stepchildren is that to feel not caught in the middle is to feel centered in the family. Stepchildren's desire to be centered in the family was animated by the dialectic of freedom-constraint, which co-existed within the contradictions of openness-closedness and control-restraint. These contradictions are detailed in the analysis, along with advice to parents from the perspective of stepchildren. Implications for the interaction of stepchildren and their parents are discussed.     

Centered but not Caught in the Middle: Stepchildren's Perceptions of Dialectical Contradictions in the Communication of Co-Parents

The researchers adopted a dialectical perspective to study how stepchildren experience and communicatively manage the perception of feeling caught in the middle between their parents who are living in different households. The metaphor of being caught in the middle is powerful for stepchildren and this metaphor animated their discourse. A central contribution of the present study was to understand the alternative to being caught in the middle and what this alternative means to stepchildren. Reflected in the discourse of stepchildren is that to feel not caught in the middle is to feel centered in the family. Stepchildren's desire to be centered in the family was animated by the dialectic of freedom–constraint, which co-existed within the contradictions of openness–closedness and control–restraint. These contradictions are detailed in the analysis, along with advice to parents from the perspective of stepchildren. Implications for the interaction of stepchildren and their parents are discussed.     

Latino children’s ability to interpret in health settings: A parent–child dyadic perspective on child health literacy

To determine children’s ability to interpret in medical settings, 100 dyads of low-income, Spanish-speaking parents and their bilingual children who interpret for the parents were surveyed. Seventy-four children demonstrated adequate health literacy in English. Three theoretical perspectives (social cognitive theory, role-reversal theory, and the team-effort model) guided hypotheses about how parent and child characteristics influenced child health literacy. Structural equation model results supported the team-effort model. Children were more health literate when they were older, had better English abilities, had higher self-efficacy, and had parents with lower self-efficacy and better English language abilities. Children and parents may work as a team in medical interpreting settings, with children simultaneously compensating for and learning from parents.     

论网络伦理的困惑与构建

网络伦理存在着诸多困惑，主要表现为网络空间与物理空间、信息共享与产权保障以及个人隐私与社会监督之间的矛盾。网络伦理构建首先要提高人们的网络道德认识水平，加强网络道德的心理调适，其次要树立尊重隐私的道德意识和尊重他人知识产权的规范，再次要健全网络伦理道德的维护和监管机制，最后还要做好网络立法和执法工作。     

Fear of Isolation and Perceived Affordances: The Spiral of Silence on Social Networking Sites Regarding Police Discrimination

The spiral of silence (SoS) framework elaborates the factors that determine whether individuals are willing to express their opinions in public. Although previous scholarship has examined differences in between face-to-face and computer-mediated communication, research studies have rarely tested how perceived affordances of the channel influence whether individuals express opinions or self-censor. In this study (N = 399), we examine several propositions of SoS within the context of discussing police discrimination on Facebook. To extend the theory’s relevance to social networking sites, we examined how users’ perceptions of network association, social presence, anonymity, and persistence related to opinion expression. Findings indicate support for some of the theory’s original tenets, as well as the role of multiple perceived affordances in determining whether people will express an opinion to their online social network. We discuss the implications for measuring and understanding political expression and silencing on social media as well as offline.     

“Why post more pictures if no one is looking at them?” Parents’ perception of the Facebook Like in sharenting

ABSTRACT

This paper reports on findings from an exploratory investigation about parents’ perceived role of the Facebook Like in sharenting (i.e., sharing about their children on social media) by drawing on the qualitative results of an online survey. Findings show that the majority of participants think that getting a Like on a picture of one’s child can encourage a parent to share more about him/her because of two main understandings of this paralinguistic cue: the Like as a received validation of one’s parenting, or as a metric of connection with important people, causing emotional reactions in the receivers. Several parents, though, judge the Like as more commonly being important for others, explaining this difference in terms of internal characteristics. This study aims to extend our understanding of the motivations behind sharenting by taking into account the role of the Like in this practice and highlighting how parents position themselves in such an exchange of digital photo-sharing and feedback. As communication does not happen in a vacuum, we advance that research on parents’ photo-sharing behavior online may benefit from considering whether and how social media liking can foster and shape interpersonal communication between posters and recipients.     

Negotiating Dis/Ability in Families: Constructions and Contradictions

This project uses a narrative view of identity to interrogate how individuals construct notions of ability and disability within their families. Participants include children with disabilities from diverse ethnic backgrounds, their parents, siblings, and extended family members. Interactions within four families are explored as well as interactions family members have with people outside their families. Interview and observational data demonstrate ways that participants construct identities that highlight intersections of ability/disability and individuality/relationships. Results indicate that families primarily construct identities of “normal” through their interactions and routines as they negotiate contradictions inherent in their everyday lives. Theoretic implications of narrative dimensions of constructions and contradictions are offered. Finally, practical applications for professionals and families of children with disabilities are suggested with future directions for research and practice.     

Exploring Tough Love Communication in Parents’ Relationships with Their Young Adult Children

Communication between parents and their young adult children serves as an important foundation for healthy development and successful socialization. When communicating support, parents may struggle to find a balance between comforting their child while also encouraging their personal growth and development. In certain situations, parents may communicate tough love in order to accomplish their different goals. This study examines 67 interviews involving parents and their young adult children to explore how they discuss and understand tough love in their relationships. Results illuminate five themes regarding the distinguishing features of tough love and three themes around the outcomes of tough love in parent-child relationships.     

Feeling Caught: Adult Children's Experiences with Parental Infidelity

The purpose of this study was to understand what, if any, messages adult children recalled receiving from family members following the discovery of their parents’ infidelity that either discouraged or encouraged feeling caught. Thirty-eight individuals were interviewed. Findings suggested that adult children received messages about parental conflict being between their parents, no one being the good/bad guy, and speaking favorably about change, all of which discouraged feeling caught. Messages that encouraged feeling caught involved urging the child to uncover information, serve as a mediator, and field other family members’ opinions. These findings are compared to previous research.     

Understanding the Nature,Uses, and Gratifications of Social Television: Implications for Developing Viewer Engagement and Network Loyalty

This study employed an online survey (N = 310) to explore how viewers’ motivations for social TV participation influence their involvement in social TV activities, their program commitment, and network loyalty. Findings show that social infotainment and social companionship are the primary motivations of social TV participation. However, only social infotainment significantly predicts the intensity of viewers’ social TV usage, which has a positive influence on program commitment and network loyalty. Additionally, the relationship between social TV usage and network loyalty is partially mediated by program commitment. These findings demonstrate the value of social TV to broadcasters and provide directions for initiating and maintaining long-term relationships with viewers.     

割裂的扁平化:网络语言与青少年情感体验

网络语言正日益成为当代青少年情感传达和表征的重要文化符号.文章旨在探讨当网络语言经由数字化传媒的高强辐射性嵌入青少年的日常生活后,青少年情感体验的迁移与改变.研究发现,网络语言使情感的表达方式呈现出"横宽纵短"的扁平化特征.以扁平化的内涵意蕴参照青少年日常生活中网络语言情感表达时,发现其呈现出一系列矛盾特质:一方面,青少年依据全新的情感逻辑权衡情感分寸,敏锐捕捉生活中的谐趣和夸张,灵活调度丰富的情感表征储备;另一方面,对于情感的洞悉、情感虚实空间的转换和嫁接,青少年不可避免地产生了陌生和弱化.这一看似对立的特质相互依傍和制衡,产生出持续的张力,使得青少年的情感体验在互联空间中呈现出"割裂的扁平化".     

Predicting Parent-Child Differences in Perceptions of How Children Use the Internet for Help With Homework,Identity Development,and Health Information

Bioecological systems theory provides a framework to understand how factors in the child's environment contribute to parent-child differences in estimations of how often children are helped by their Internet use. A national sample survey of 456 matched parent-child pairs investigated how parents-child relational factors, parental attitudes toward the Internet, and the bio-ecology of the child, are related to differing perceptions of the frequency of using the Internet to seek help with homework assignments, to aid in identity development, and to find health information. While previous research shows that parents underestimate risky online behaviors, we investigate whether parent-child differences will emerge in regards to how often the child engages in the behaviors under investigation here. The findings show that parents overestimate these online activities, suggesting they are biased in their estimations. Parent-child relational factors emerged as predictors of parental overestimation for each of these online activities, with trust perceptions as the most consistent predictor. Parental attitudes toward the Internet predicted parent-child differences in perceptions of how frequently the child used the Internet for help with homework and identity development, while the bioecology of the child was only predictive in the case of using the Internet for help with homework.     

Expanding the Unidirectional View on Parental Television Mediation: Children’s Guidance of Their Parent’s Television Use

Compared to parental mediation research, much less is known about how children influence and guide their parents’ media use. This study examined whether children also mediate the television use of their parents. Measures of an existing television mediation scale were reversed to the perspective of the child guiding the parent’s television use. A sample of 187 parent-child dyads completed a cross-sectional survey in Flanders (Belgium). Factor analyses showed that the original subscales were reproduced with high internal validity. Both parents and children had congruent views about children’s television mediation; television mediation and children's restrictive mediation was positively associated with conflict in the family.     

Parent Versus Child Reports of Parental Advertising Mediation: Exploring the Meaning of Agreement

In a survey among 360 parent-child dyads (children aged 8–12 years), parent and child reports of parental advertising mediation activities were examined. The first aim was to investigate how parent-child agreement in reporting mediation differed by family and child factors. Results showed that agreement was highest in communication-oriented families and between parents and girls. The second aim was to examine the role of agreement in predicting the mediation outcome (i.e., reduced materialism). Both measures predicted the mediation outcome, but its effectiveness was contingent on parent-child agreement. Mediation was most effective when parents and children both reported that parents often discussed advertising.