Diversity in Family Structure—Diversity in Communication between Family Members?

This study aims at investigating the parent-adolescent communication of Finnish families from a multiinformant perspective. Thirteenand fourteen-year-old adolescents (n = 171) and their parents were asked to complete a questionnaire examining positive and problematic communication between the two parties. Information about their family structure was collected. The results indicated an interrelationship between parental and adolescent assessments, particularly regarding negative aspects of communication. The boys assessed their communication with parents as more positive than did the girls. The results showed that the mothers still are the synchronizing hearts of communication in modern families, whereas the fathers’ roles in family communication were more modest suggesting that the stereotypical roles in Finnish families persist even today.