Parental Invasive and Children's Defensive Behaviors at Home and Away at College: Mediated Communication and Privacy Boundary Management

Abstract

Following recent discussion of close parent-undergraduate contact via mediated communication, this manuscript reports an empirical study of parental invasive behaviors and children's defensive behaviors. Results reveal patterns of parent/child boundary management via mediated communication, including decreased frequency of invasive/defensive behaviors than in a similar study by Petronio (1994). Telephone invasion at home was associated with invasions when away at college. Discussion of results considers how technology choices might alter the character of parent-child boundary management.

Keywords:

• Boundary Management
• Mediated Communication
• Parent-Child Communication

Notes

Note. Column totals do not equal 100% because participants could mention more than one type of invasive behavior.

^a Negative residuals indicate that the supercategory occurred less frequently when away at college than when home. Likewise, positive residuals indicate the supercategory occurred more frequently at college than at home.

∗p < .05. ∗∗p < .01.

Note. The upper block presents Phi correlation coefficients between parental invasive behaviors at home and parental invasive behaviors when away at college. The lower block presents Phi correlation coefficients between children's defensive behaviors at home and children's defensive behaviors when away at college.

∗p < .05. ∗∗p < .01.

Note. The upper block presents Phi correlation coefficients between parental invasive behaviors and children's defensive behaviors when at home. The lower block presents Phi correlation coefficients between such behaviors when away at college.

∗p < .05. ∗∗p < .01.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Andrew M. Ledbetter

Andrew M. Ledbetter (PhD, University of Kansas, 2007) is an Assistant Professor in the School of Communication Studies at Ohio University.

Sarah Heiss

Sarah Heiss (MA, Ohio University, 2007) is a doctoral student in the School of Communication Studies at Ohio University.

Kenny Sibal

Kenny Sibal (MA, Western Kentucky University, 2006) is a doctoral student in the School of Communication Studies at Ohio University.

Eimi Lev

Eimi Lev (PhD, Ohio University, 2009) is a lecturer in the Department of Communication and the Department of Health Promotion in the School of Public Health at Tel Aviv University, Israel.

Michele Battle-Fisher

Michele Battle-Fisher (MPH, Ohio State University, 2002) is a doctoral student in Public Health at Ohio State University.

Natalie Shubert

Natalie Shubert (MA, Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, 2006) is a doctoral student in the School of Communication Studies at Ohio University.