An Examination of Family Communication Within the Core and Balance Model of Family Leisure Functioning

• Author: Kevin M. Smith,Ramon B. Zabriskie,Patti A. Freeman
• Date: 01 February 2009
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3729.2008.00536.x
• Published date: 01 February 2009

KEVIN M. SMITH Brigham Young University

PATTI A. FREEMAN AND RAMON B. ZABRISKIE Brigham Young University*

An Examination of Family Communication

Within the Core and Balance Model of Family

Leisure Functioning

The purpose of this study was to examine family

communication within the core and balance

model of family leisure functioning. The study

was conducted from a youth perspective of fam-

ily leisure and family functioning. The sample

consisted of youth (N¼95) aged 11 – 17 from

25 different states in the United States. Path

analyses indicated that family communication

mediated a positive relationship between family

leisure variables and family functioning varia-

bles. Implications and recommendations are

discussed. The addition of communication in

the Core and Balance Model is recommended.

A widely accepted def‌inition of family func-

tioningisinformedbyTheCircumplexModel

of Marital and Family Functioning. According

to this family systems framework, healthy fam-

ily functioning is characterized by balanced lev-

els of cohesion and f‌lexibility (Olson, 2000).

Cohesion ref‌lects the emotional bonding a fam-

ily shares, and f‌lexibility is the ability to cope

with change. Communication, a third dimen-

sion of the model, is theorized to facilitate

changes in cohesion and f‌lexibility, though it

is not utilized by Olson to determine family

functioning. Galvin and Brommel (1982)

def‌ined communication as ‘‘a symbolic, trans-

actional process, or the process of creating and

sharing meanings’’ (p. 6). Moreover, Olson,

Russell, and Sprenkle (1983) def‌ined positive

communication as sending clear and congruent

messages, expressing empathy, providing sup-

portive comments, and demonstrating effective

problem-solving skills. Further, according to

Olson and Gorall (2003), a family that has pos-

itive family communication will be better able

to alter their cohesion and f‌lexibility to meet

developmental and situational demands that

arise, whereas family systems with poor com-

munication tend to have lower functioningin re-

gard to cohesion and f‌lexibility.

Positive family communication skills have

also been found to result in an array of positive

family outcomes such as less serious forms and

lower ratesof delinquency in adolescents(Clark &

Shields, 1997), the development of conf‌lict reso-

lution (Koerner & Fitzpatrick, 1997), children’s

resiliency to adverse environmental inf‌luences

(Fitzpatrick & Koerner, 1996), and the enactment

of family rituals (Baxter & Clark, 1996). Further-

more, positive family communication skills have

been found to mitigate the potential negative

effects of television on children (Krcmar, 1998).

Division of Continuing Education, Brigham Young Univer-

sity, 120 HCEB, Provo, UT 84602 (kevin_smith@byu.edu).

*Department of Recreation Management & Youth Leader-

ship, Brigham Young University, 273 R B, Provo, UT

84602.

Key Words: core and balance family leisure, Circumplex

Model, family communication, family leisure.

Family Relations 58 (February 2009): 79–90 79

A Publication of

the National Council on

Family Relations