Children-in-laws’ message processing: Associations among uncertainty, perceived topic avoidance, goal inferences, and martial satisfaction

Abstract

Uncertainty is germane to the in-law experience. Although associations between in-law’s doubts and message production are well documented, less is known about how in-law’s uncertainty corresponds with their message processing and how these evaluations associate with relational outcomes. Weaving theorizing on uncertainty and goal detection, the present study examined associations between children-in-law’s uncertainty, message processing, and marital satisfaction. Self-report, survey data from children-in-law ( n = 199) revealed that their uncertainty corresponds with biased appraisals of their parents-in-law’s communication, specifically perceived topic avoidance and the goals undergirding their avoidant communication (i.e., goal inferences). Additionally, perceived topic avoidance rather than uncertainty shared a stronger association with goal inferences. Finally, goal inferences were directly and indirectly associated with children-in-law’s marital satisfaction. Results are interpreted in light of their theoretical and practical contributions.

Dyadic processes of relational turbulence theory

“…This proposition has received considerable support in several contexts. For instance, for bereaved mothers, relational uncertainty after miscarriage corresponds with negative appraisals of the experience (Tian & Solomon, 2020); uncertainty experienced by children‐in‐law associates with biased appraisals of the communication of their parents‐in‐law (Mikucki‐Enyart, 2019); and romantic partners' uncertainty predicts threatening cognitive appraisals of relationship talk (Stein, 2020).…”