Exploring Family Communication Patterns and Interpersonal Technologies in United States-Based Grandparent-Grandchild Relationships

Grandparents increasingly use both technologically-mediated and in-person communication to nurture relationships with their grandchildren. Framed using the communication interdependence perspective (CIP), this study examined associations among family communication patterns (FCPs), integration of face-to-face and technologically-mediated communication, and relationship satisfaction to explore grandparent-grandchild relationships. Analysis of survey responses from 379 grandparents in the United States indicated that conversation orientation was positively associated with constructive integration, whereas both warm and cold conformity orientations were positively associated with destructive integration. Constructive integration was positively associated with relationship satisfaction and destructive integration was negatively associated with relationship satisfaction. Significant indirect effects between FCPs, integration, and relationship satisfaction also were identified.