Conversations that Clear the Air: a Dyadic Examination of Parent-Adolescent Communication and Smoking Through the Lenses of Communication Accommodation and Affection Exchange Theories
Additional information
Authors
Type
Article in conference proceedings
Year
2026
Language
English
Abstract
Despite evidence that family communication shapes adolescent health behaviors, few studies have examined the reciprocal influence between parents and adolescents. Drawing on the Communication Accommodation Theory (CAT) and the Affection Exchange Theory (AET), this study investigates whether supportive communication acts as a protective factor against smoking for both generations. Data from a representative sample of 940 parent–adolescent dyads were analyzed using the Actor–Partner Interdependence Model (APIM) with latent constructs. Results revealed significant actor and partner effects for adolescents: both adolescents’ and parents’ perceptions of supportive communication were associated with lower adolescent smoking. For parents, no actor effect emerged, while a marginal partner effect suggested that adolescents’ positive perception of communication was related to lower parental smoking. These findings indicate that accommodative and affectionate communication may operate as relational resources that discourage smoking, although causal inference is limited by the cross-sectional design. The study advances theoretical integration between CAT and AET and highlights the utility of dyadic modeling for understanding intergenerational health communication.
Conference proceedings
ICA
Meeting name
ICA
Meeting place
Cape Town
Meeting date
June 2026
