1. When children are not genetically related to their parents, What do we really know about parent-child communication? Martha A. Rueter Department of Family Social Science University of Minnesota

2. Presentation overview Introduction: What we know about family communication Foundation: Data source: SIBS Guiding theory: Family Communication Patterns Findings: Communication, genetic relatedness, adjustment Communication, genetic relatedness, agreement Future Directions

3. Appropriate parental control Clear, positive or neutral messages Listening to one another Warmth Control MessagesListeningWarmth Family Communication Child Adjustment Some things we know: Introduction

4. When children are not genetically related to their parents, What do we know about parent-child communication? Martha A. Rueter Department of Family Social Science Ascan F. Koerner Department of Communication Studies University of Minnesota Foundation

5. Sibling Interaction Behavior Study (SIBS) Research Team Matt McGue, PI Bill Iacano Irene Elkins Meg Keyes Martha Rueter SIBS is funded by grants for the US government: NIMH, NIDA, NIAAA Foundation

6. N = 617 families, each with two participating children. Elder child, M age = 16.01 years. Younger child, M age = 13.69 years. N = 409 families: Child ( ren ) not genetically related to parents. N = 285 families: Both children adopted. N = 124 families: 1 child adopted, 1 child not adopted. N = 208 families: Children genetically related to parents. Sibling Interaction Behavior Study (SIBS) Participants Foundation

7. Family Adoption Status (Adoptive or Non-adoptive family) Family communication and adoption status directly associated? Child Adjustment Control MessagesListeningWarmth Family Communication Family communication and adoption status interact. Rueter et al, JFP, in press Rueter & Koerner, JMF, 2008 Foundation

8. Family Communication Patterns Theory (Koerner & Fitzpatrick, 2004) Optimal family functioning requires that members achieve a Shared social reality exists when family members (A) Agree. (B) Accurately perceive their agreement. shared social reality Foundation

9. Family Communication Child Adjustment Family Communication Patterns Theory Foundation Parent-child genetic relatedness Child Adjustment Family Shared Social Reality Family Communication

10. Family Communication Patterns Theory (Koerner & Fitzpatrick, 2004) Conversation Orientation: Emphasizes discussion to achieve shared social reality. Conformity Orientation: Emphasizes looking to an authority to achieve shared social reality. Shared Social Reality Achieved through reliance on a combination of 2 orientations. Foundation

11. Conversation Orientation Conformity Orientation Consensual Protective Family Communication Patterns (FCP) Pluralistic Laissez-Faire Low High Foundation

12. MFOY MF O Y M F OYMF O Y Family Communication Patterns (4 Latent Classes) Observed Control Observed Communication Observed Listening Observed Warmth Measuring Family Communication Patterns Rueter & Koerner, JMF, 2008 Older Sex Younger Sex Findings: Adjustment

13. Laissez Faire Rueter & Koerner, JMF, 2008

14. Control CommunicationListeningWarmth Family Communication Pattern Parent-child genetic relatedness (Adoptive or Non-adoptive family) Family Communication Pattern and adoption status directly associated? Findings: Adjustment

15. Dark Bars: Adoptive Light Bars: Non-adoptive Rueter & Koerner, JMF, 2008

16. Parent-child genetic relatedness (Adoptive or Non-adoptive family) Family communication and genetic relatedness directly associated? Control MessagesListeningWarmth Family Communication Pattern Child Adjustment Family communication and genetic relatedness interact. Findings: Adjustment

17. Parent-child genetic relatedness (Adoptive or Non-adoptive family) Control MessagesListeningWarmth Family Communication Pattern Child Externalizing Behavior Family communication and genetic relatedness interact. Findings: Adjustment

18. Observed Defiance to Mother Self- Reported Delinquency Teacher Reported Externalizing Diagnosed Symptoms Externalizing Observed Defiance to Father Older child Externalizing Behavior (2 Latent Classes) Measuring child externalizing behavior Rueter & Koerner, JMF, 2008 Older Sex Older Age Findings: Adjustment

19. Control CommunicationListeningWarmth HS to M DBI Ext (Teacher) HS to F Ext (Symptoms) Family Communication Pattern Child Externalizing Behavior Estimate the proportion of children placed in the high externalizing subgroup for each Family Communication Pattern Findings: Adjustment

20. Hypothesized externalizing levels by Family Communication Pattern Consensual Pluralistic Protective Laissez-Faire Conversation Orientation Conformity Orientation Lowest externalizing Moderate externalizing Highest externalizing Findings: Adjustment

22. Parent-child genetic relatedness (Adoptive or Non-adoptive family) Child Externalizing Behavior Control MessagesListeningWarmth Family Communication Pattern Family Communication Pattern and genetic relatedness interact. Findings: Adjustment

23. Conversation Orientation Conformity Orientation Consensual Pluralistic Protective Laissez-Faire Hypothesized externalizing levels by Family Communication Pattern and genetic relatedness Adopted similar to non-adopted Adopted similar to non-adopted Adopted higher than non-adopted Adopted higher than non-adopted Findings: Adjustment

24. 18.5% 4.1% 2.6% 16.7% 26.9% 0.0% 12.3% 7.8% Proportion of Children placed in the High Externalizing Subgroup across Family Communication Patterns by Adoption Status Rueter & Koerner, JMF, 2008

25. Family Communication Pattern Child Adjustment Parent-child genetic relatedness Family Shared Social Reality Family Communication Patterns Theory and parent-child genetic relatedness

26. Family Communication Pattern Family Shared Social Reality Parent-child genetic relatedness The Role of Shared Social Reality Findings: Agreement

27. Q1. Drinking is a good way to celebrate special occasions. Q2. Drinking can help you feel less shy. Q3. Drinking can make you feel more confident. Q4. Drinking with others is a good way to have fun. Q5. Drinking makes parties more fun. Q6. Drinking makes it easier to talk to people at parties. Sibling Shared Social Alcohol Expectancies Older and younger sibling responses to 6 questions: Items from the Alcohol Expectancies Questionnaire (Brown et al., 1987). Measuring Shared Social Reality Rueter & Koerner, ISSBD, 2008 Findings: Agreement

28. Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5 Q6 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5 Q6 Statistical Model of Sibling Shared Social Reality Older Social Alcohol Expectancies Younger Social Alcohol Expectancies Older Sex Older Age Younger Sex Younger Age Rueter & Koerner, ISSBD, 2008 Findings: Agreement

29. Family Communication Pattern Sibling Shared Social Reality Sibling genetic relatedness The Role of Shared Social Reality Findings: Agreement

30. Older Social Alcohol Expectancies Younger Social Alcohol Expectancies Adoptive siblings (N = 409).07 (t = 1.32) Non-adoptive siblings (N = 208).44 (t = 3.64) Older Social Alcohol Expectancies Younger Social Alcohol Expectancies  2 (df = 1) = 8.81, P <.05 Direct effect of genetic relatedness Rueter & Koerner, ISSBD, 2008 Findings: Agreement

31. Direct effect of Family Communication Pattern Older Social Alcohol Expectancies Younger Social Alcohol Expectancies Family emphasizes conversation (N = 230).42 (t = 4.27) Family does not emphasize conversation (N = 386).02 (t =.44) Older Social Alcohol Expectancies Younger Social Alcohol Expectancies  2 (df = 1) = 13.92, P <.05 Rueter & Koerner, ISSBD, 2008 Findings: Agreement

32. Older Social Alcohol Expectancies Younger Social Alcohol Expectancies Family emphasizes conversation (N = 158).36 (t = 3.64) Family does not emphasize conversation (N = 250) -.04 (t = -.71) Older Social Alcohol Expectancies Younger Social Alcohol Expectancies  2 (df = 1) = 13.26, P <.05 Interaction between FCP and genetic relatedness: Adoptive siblings Rueter & Koerner, ISSBD, 2008 Findings: Agreement

33. Older Social Alcohol Expectancies Younger Social Alcohol Expectancies Family emphasizes conversation (N = 72).71 (t = 2.55) Family does not emphasize conversation (N = 136).35 (t = 2.34) Older Social Alcohol Expectancies Younger Social Alcohol Expectancies  2 (df = 1) = 1.77, P >.05) Interaction between FCP and genetic relatedness: Non-adoptive siblings Rueter & Koerner, ISSBD, 2008 Findings: Agreement

34. Family Communication Pattern Sibling Shared Social Reality Sibling genetic relatedness The Role of Shared Social Reality Findings: Agreement

35. Family Communication Pattern Family Shared Social Reality Parent-child genetic relatedness Child Adjustment Future Directions