Communication Accommodation Theory as a Lens to Examine Painful Self-Disclosure in Grandparent-Grandchild Relationships

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Communication Accommodation Theory (CAT; e.g., Giles, 2016a) has emerged as a key interpersonal and intergroup theory, and has been studied across an array of languages, cultures, and applied settings (Soliz & Giles, 2014). This chapter, with its illustrative case accounts, focuses on one domain of CAT research, namely problematic communication in grandparent-grandchild (GP-GC) relationships. GP-GC communication is often a source of satisfaction for both parties (Lin, Harwood, & Bonnesen, 2002; Mansson, 2013), yet such communication is not always pleasant. Several communication patterns exacerbate frustrations or discomfort for one or both parties. For example, grandparents feel particularly frustrated when they perceive grandchildren as disinterested in them or not investing in the GP-GC relationship (e.g., Bangerter & Waldron, 2014). Grandchildren also experience declines in closeness when they perceive their grandparents as deceiving or judging them (Holladay et al., 1998).