Keywords

Family Communication Patterns; Children of Alcoholics; Alcoholism; Adult Children of Alcoholics; Alcohol Use Disorder; Attachment Theory; Taking Conflict Personally

Abstract

Family communication patterns shape children's behavior trajectories. This study explored perspectives of family communication, attachment styles, and taking conflict personally in samples of adult children of alcoholics and nonalcoholics. This study used family communication patterns theory, attachment style theory, and conflict-specific behavior of taking conflict personally surveys to guide research questions. An analysis of the results suggests an overarching theme in adult children of alcoholics. First, an emerging pattern revealed elevated anxiety attachment in adult children of alcoholics. Next, with family communication patterns, findings suggest that children who were raised with a parent who had alcohol use disorder were associated negatively with conversation disorder. Finally, regarding taking conflict personally, participants who perceived the mother had alcohol use disorder showed significantly elevated stress reactions to taking conflict personally, while participants who perceived their father to have alcohol use disorder were positively associated with all three dynamics of taking conflict personally, personalization, persecution, and stress reactions. These findings bring awareness to the impact family communication dynamics and alcohol use disorder have on adult children of alcohol alcoholics and the consequential outcomes of such communication patterns in the family.

Thesis Completion Year

2024

Thesis Completion Semester

Fall

Thesis Chair

Weger, Harry

College

College of Sciences

Department

Nicholson School of Communication and Media

Thesis Discipline

Communication and Conflict

Language

en-us

Access Status

Campus Access

Length of Campus Access

5 years

Campus Location

UCF Online

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Rights Statement

In Copyright