Communicative Responses to Hurtful Messages in Families

Abstract

Using Bradbury and Fincham's (1988, 1990) contextual model of relational interaction as a conceptual framework, this project investigated whether interaction-specific variables (i.e., the proximal context) affected reactions to hurtful communication in families beyond that of more general, relationship-level variables (i.e., the distal context). Results revealed some noteworthy patterns. Relational satisfaction (distal context) was a contributing factor in family members responding to a hurtful message with active distancing, distributive communication, and avoidance/denial. The sex of recipients (distal context) of hurt-evoking communication affected their likelihood to react with negative affect expression and violence. The intensity of hurtful comments (proximal context) had the strongest influence, affecting four out of the six communicative responses; the hurtfulness of the statements (proximal context) was a contributing factor for active distancing, negative affect expression, and violence. This study provided evidence that when hurt, family members tend to either aggressively approach or nonassertively withdraw from the interaction.