Exploring associations between family communication patterns and young adults’ optimism

The current study examines the influence of family communication patterns (FCPs, i.e. conversation-orientation [CVO] and conformity-orientation [CFO]) on 444 (N = 444) young adults’ perceptions of optimism. It was argued that FCPs shape young adults’ relational schemas, which include cognitions about the self, such as feelings of optimism. Findings provide empirical support, indicating that CVO is positively associated with, and CFO is negatively associated with, young adults’ feelings of optimism. Additionally, CFO moderated the relationship between CVO and optimism, indicating that young adults from pluralistic families tend to have slightly higher degrees of optimism compared to other family types.