The father‐young adult relationship: Interpersonal motives, self‐disclosure, and satisfaction

This study investigated self‐disclosure, interpersonal communication motives, and communication satisfaction in the father‐young adult relationship. A total of 159 father‐young adult dyads participated. Individuals reported on how they communicated with the other person in their relationship. The results of this study indicated that: (a) young adults and fathers are similar in their interpersonal motives and self‐disclosures in communicating with each other; (b) interpersonal motives for communicating are related to self‐disclosure behavior; and peoples’ motives and self‐disclosures in the young adult‐father relationship explain their satisfaction with that relationship. The findings of this study support the proposition that the communication that takes place in the family and the reasons for that communication affects the satisfaction that is felt by members of the family.