Publication Date
Spring 4-16-2025
Presentation Length
15 minutes
College
College of Sciences & Mathematics
Department
Psychological Science, Department of
Student Level
Undergraduate
SPARK Category
Research
Faculty Advisor
Patrick Morse
WELL Core Type
Intellectual Wellness
SPARK Session
Personality Psych 1
Presentation Type
Talk/Oral
Summary
An important aspect of our personality is how we communicate. Our expressiveness and communication skills drive our interactions and interpersonal experiences. Previous research has found that a family’s usage of transparent communication and expression influences the children’s future behavior and attitude in terms of leadership and sociability (Huang, 1999).There is additional research that found that one’s communication with authority figures, such as teachers and physicians, is impacted by how the authority figure communicates with them (Drury, 2003; Frymier & Houser, 2000; Kiesler & Auerbach, 2003). Our study examined the correlations between familial expressiveness, authority figure communication skills, and one’s dominance. The questionnaires used were the Family Expressiveness Questionnaire (FEQ), Authority Figure Communication Style Questionnaire (AFCSQ), and Dominant-Submissive Subscale of the Interpersonal Circumplex. The data from the questionnaires was analyzed using Pearson correlation. The results of this study found that there is a positive correlation between all constructs examined. Therefore, higher scores on the FEQ correlated with higher scores on the AFCSQ and higher levels of dominance. Knowledge of how upbringing impacts one’s communication style furthers our understanding of how the development of personality impacts interaction and interpersonal relationships. A transparent and expressive upbringing is correlated with how the child’s interacts with authority figures, which also correlated with future occupational and relationship success.
Recommended Citation
Boylston, Makenzie; Owens, Averie; Fies, Abbey; and Kores, Rose, "Family Drama: Unpacking Your Communication Style in Relation to Authority Figures" (2025). SPARK Symposium Presentations. 545.
https://repository.belmont.edu/spark_presentations/545
