A Sociotechnological Model for Family Research and Intervention: How Information and Communication Technologies Affect Family Life

Abstract

The social impact of rapidly evolving information and communication technologies has become the focus of research across many disciplines. Although family scientists recognize the importance of contributing to the discourse, few studies have applied a family theoretical perspective. This article introduces a sociotechnological family conceptual model that organizes existing research and suggests areas for future study and intervention. The model uses an ecological approach and bidirectional conceptualization that acknowledges both the effect of multifunctional technologies, such as cellular phones or personal computers, on and the influence of familial, extrafamilial, and individual characteristics on how those technologies are incorporated within the family context. The Perceived Impact of Home Computer Use on Family Relationships study is used to illustrate how the sociotechnological model advances understanding of the influence information and communication technology has on family life.

KEYWORDS:

• cellular phones
• communication
• computer
• conceptual model
• family life
• family process
• internet
• technology

Acknowledgment

I acknowledge the contributions of Dr. Lillian Chenoweth, Dr. Mary Bold, Dr. Jan Colvin, Dr. Marcello Diversi, Dr. Karen Peterson, and Dr. Tom Powers for their valuable feedback and suggestions during the development of the conceptual model and manuscript.