An Examination of Everyday Talk in Stepfamily Systems

Abstract

This study explored frequencies of everyday talk in stepfamilies and the extent to which such frequencies of talk differed according to family relationship type. Participants included a parent, stepparent, and stepchild from 114 stepfamilies. Across relationship types, stepfamily members reported catching up, joking around, and recapping the day's events most frequently and interrogating family members least frequently. Significant differences in frequencies of everyday talk across different relational dyads emerged for all three members of the stepfamily system. However, relatively few differences emerged in stepchildren's reported frequencies of everyday talk with their stepparents and their nonresidential parents.

Keywords:

• Conflict
• Everyday Talk
• Nonresidential Parents
• Stepfamilies
• Stepparent-Stepchild Relationships

Notes

Note: Responses were solicited using a Likert-type scale that ranged from 1 (Never) to 5 (Regularly). Standard deviations are in parentheses.

Note: Mean frequencies based on a 5-point Likert-type scale ranging from 1 (Never) to 5 (Regularly). Means in rows with the same subscripts are not significantly different at p < .05.

^an = 94.

^bn = 93.

^cn = 90.

∗p < .05.

∗∗p < .01.

∗∗∗p < .001.

Note: Mean frequencies based on a 5-point Likert-type scale ranging from 1 (Never) to 5 (Regularly). Means in rows with the same subscripts are not significantly different at p < .05. NRPs = nonresidential parents.

^an = 104.

^bn = 108.

^cn = 93.

∗p < .05.

∗∗p < .001.

Note: Mean frequencies based on a 5-point Likert-type scale ranging from 1 (Never) to 5 (Regularly).

^an = 96.

^bn = 99.

^cn = 96.

∗∗p < .001.

We acknowledge that including multiple family members in a single data set introduces a degree of nonindependence in statistical analyses. However, we did not have a round-robin design in which each person completes the same report for every other member of the group. Although there were three targets for each family member, there were four options across the data set (i.e., child, parent, stepparent, and nonresidential parent), which arbitrarily created missing data that would prevent a mixed-model MANCOVA analysis. Further, we were unable to include nonresidential parents' reports of their everyday talk with the other three members of the stepfamily system, again preventing the types of statistical analyses that are more appropriate for round-robin designs (e.g., social relations modeling). Consequently, we chose to focus this report on differences among dyadic relationships within the stepfamily system treating all members occupying each stepfamily role as a separate group.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Paul Schrodt

Paul Schrodt (Ph.D., University of Nebraska – Lincoln, 2003) is an Assistant Professor of Communication Studies at Texas Christian University.

Dawn O. Braithwaite

Dawn O. Braithwaite (Ph.D., University of Minnesota, 1988) is a Willa Cather Professor and Professor of Communication Studies at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln.

Jordan Soliz

Jordan Soliz (Ph.D., University of Kanas, 2004) is an Assitant Professor of Communication Studies at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln.

Stacy Tye-Williams

Stacy Tye-Williams is a doctoral candidate at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln.

Aimee Miller

Aimee Miller (Ph.D., University of Nebraska – Lincoln, 2007) is an Instructor at Augustana College.

Emily Lamb Normand

Emily Lamb Normand (Doctoral Candidate, University of Nebraska – Lincoln) is an Assistant Professor at Olivet Nazarene University.

Meredith Marko Harrigan

Meredith Marko Harrigan (Ph.D., University of Nebraska – Lincoln, 2006) is an Assistant Professor of Communication Studies at SUNY Geneseo.