Communication Theory and The Family

1. Communication Theory and The Family Fitzpatrick, M. A., & Ritchie, L. D. (1993). Communication Theory and the Family. In P. G. Boss, W. J. Doherty, R. LaRossa, W. R. Schumm, & S. K. Steinmetz (Eds.), Sourcebook of family theories and methods: A contextual approach (pp. 565-585). New York: Plenum Press.

2. The Academic Discipline of Communication • Develop testable hypotheses in order to understand the production, processing, and effects of symbol and signal systems. • It focuses on one category of behavior -- communication -- across many levels of analysis. • There are various distinctions (e.g., mass communication versus interpersonal, applied versus theoretical). Dr. Ronald J. Werner-Wilson

3. Mass Communication Research • Early theoretical interests: propaganda and persuasion; free expression and regulation; political participation; influence of technology. • Influence on discipline: • Increased popularity of television. • Fear about unethical persuasion techniques. • Research on families compared the influence of families to the influence of television. Dr. Ronald J. Werner-Wilson

4. Interpersonal Communication Research • Early research focused on characteristics of speakers, seeking to understand variables associated with persuasiveness. • Contemporary research examines factors which influence interpersonal communication. Dr. Ronald J. Werner-Wilson

5. Terms • Definition of Human Communication • Dimensions of communication: • Symbols: something that can be used to represent something else. • The medium for transmitting symbols. • Cognitive processes which influence transmission and interpretation of symbols. • Social norms which govern meaning. • Two Key Communication Constructs • Intersubjectivity: sharing of cognitions in a communicative event. There are three ways intersubjectivity may affect communication: • Communication may require a shared set of meanings. • Communication may occur in the context of shared relationship norms. • Communication may lead to a shared set of ideas about the environment. • Interactivity: the degree to which symbol creation and interpretation are linked. This requires encoding by the sender and decoding by the receiver(s). Dr. Ronald J. Werner-Wilson

6. Code Model I: The Strong Code Model • Communication is linear. • Words and meanings are mapped in a simple one-to-one correspondence with “meanings.” A dictionary is a “codebook.” • Communication failure is attributed to • incompetent coding, • incompetent decoding, • or degradation of the signal (a/k/a/ “noise”). • Implication of this model: limited opportunity to distinguish family communication from other forms. Dr. Ronald J. Werner-Wilson

7. Code Model II: The Weak Code Model • Early computer translation experiments discovered that natural language is ambiguous and nonlinear. • This refined model was more elaborate; it recognized that each symbol can have multiple meanings. • A decoder is responsible for interpreting the meaning of the message. • Implication of this model: limited opportunity to distinguish family communication from other forms. Dr. Ronald J. Werner-Wilson

8. The Inferential Model • Fundamental assumption: many, if not most, symbols are ambiguous. • Communicative act requires the speaker to direct attention toward facts from which certain inferences are likely to be drawn. • Communication occurs when • one person produces some representation of their thoughts, • and anther person constructs a mental representation of that representation. • Comprehension is dependent on knowledge of goals and plans of participants in the interaction. We supply information from our knowledge. • Implication of this model: opportunity to develop unique theories of family communication which requires that we account for the influence of distinguishing family features on • family members’ expectations; • structure of relevancies within the family; • and how family context shapes perception. Dr. Ronald J. Werner-Wilson

9. Metaphor 1: The Family is a Private Miniculture • Family culture is created and sustained through communication. • Emphasizes knowledge, ideology, rules, values, and day-to-day rituals. • Although families are private cultures, it is still possible to identify predictable patterns in families. • Influenced by symbolic interactionism. • The relational typology (see FITZ2&3.DOC for a typology and research about marital satisfaction): • Measures relational (e.g., traditionalism) and information exchange aspects of communication (e.g., sharing, and conflict avoidance). • Most research has been conducted with couples residing in the same house, although limited research has been conducted on cohabiting heterosexual and homosexual couples. Dr. Ronald J. Werner-Wilson

10. Metaphor 1: The Family is a Private Miniculture (cont.) • Family communication patterns: • Examines the influence of communication on shared understanding between family members. • Research often emphasizes the influence of family structure on communication. • Accuracy: match between impression of one person and the thoughts of another. • Congruency: first person presumes that the second person thinks in a compatible way. Dr. Ronald J. Werner-Wilson

11. Metaphor 1: The Family is a Private Miniculture (cont.) • The Family as an information-processing group (exemplified by Reiss, 1981): • Focuses on entire family rather than on a dyad within the family. • Families are classified according to the effects of observed behavior of the family on individuals’ behavior. • Central theoretical proposition: families develop fundamental and enduring assumptions about the world based on it’s own development. • Families develop constructs. • Paradigm change occurs because of crisis. • Family structure is generated and sustained in the daily interactions among family members. Dr. Ronald J. Werner-Wilson

12. Metaphor 2: The Family is a Resource Exchange System • Assumption: family members exchange resources (e.g., time, expertise); exchanges are guided by the desire to maximize rewards and minimize costs. • Family scientists, using exchange theory, focus on the resources; communication scientists, in contrast, focus on • communication as the means for exchanging, • communication as a resource to be exchanged. Dr. Ronald J. Werner-Wilson

13. Metaphor 2: The Family is a Res. Exchange System (cont.) • Coercive family process theory • Problematic interactional patterns between parents and children may cause antisocial and aggressive behavior in children. • There are five major forms: • Family members are generally critical and punitive. • Parents are poor observers of their child’s behavior so deviant behavior reaches unmanageable proportions. • Punishment is used in an inconsistent manner. • Parents display lower levels of positive contact and are less likely to use positive reinforcement. • Rewards are used coercively. Dr. Ronald J. Werner-Wilson

14. Metaphor 2: The Family is a Res. Exchange System (cont.) • Social learning models of marital interaction • Assumptions: people only enter and stay in relationships that are equitable. • Positive interaction is associated with relationships satisfaction. • John Gottman, for example, has demonstrated that couples with at least a 5:1 ration of positive to negative interactions are less likely to divorce. • See also Fitzpatrick, 1988; Ting-Toomey, 1983; Schaap, 1984; Gottman, 1979, 1995; Jacobson et al., 1982; Margolin and Wampold, 1981; and Revenstorf et al., 1984). Dr. Ronald J. Werner-Wilson

15. Metaphor 3: The Family is a set of Relationships • Subsystems are the focus of research and theory. • Relationship: conceptualized as a series of interactions between individuals • Each interactions is limited in duration. • Each interaction is influenced by previous interactions. • This approach has had a strong influence on family systems theory and research. Dr. Ronald J. Werner-Wilson

16. Metaphor 3: The Family is a set of Relationships (cont.) • Relational control model • Messages are bimodal, featuring two levels: • Content level: what was said. • Report level: what is meant or interpreted. • Messages are interconnected. • Patterns of interaction: • Complementary: two messages are paired which are “opposite” or compatible forms (e.g., a dominant message with a submissive responsive). Example: messages to assert control is paired with a message that relinquishes control. • Symmetrical: two messages have similar intent. Example: both speakers seek to assert control. Dr. Ronald J. Werner-Wilson