Phone, Facebook, or face-to-face? : choosing channels to engage in parent-child conflict

Abstract

This study explored predictors of channel preferences within the context of parent-child relationships. Two theoretical frameworks were compared?the impression management model and face-negotiation theory. Participants included 727 young adults who completed online questionnaires concerning their perceptions of an ongoing conflict with a specific parent in mind. Results both supported and differed from the impression management model. Specifically, in contrast to the model?s assumption of a unidimensional difference between mediated and nonmediated channels, preference for oral communication channels emerged as a dimension separate from, and orthogonal to, preference for textual channels, with more significant and/or stronger effects emerging for the former. The central goal of this study was accomplished in that locus, valence, and face-concern emerged as significant predictors of conflict behaviors, and in turn, conflict behaviors as predictors of channel preferences. Overall, other-face concern was the strongest predictor of channel preferences. Conversely, individuals? conflict behaviors predicted both oral and textual channel preferences. The theoretical, methodological, and practical implications of these findings were discussed.