Father-daughter Communication: Relationship Maintenance, Attachment Styles, Interpersonal Communication Motives, and Satisfaction

Father-daughter relationships are very important because of the impact that fathers can have on their daughters. Past research has shown that daughters who are dissatisfied with their communication interactions with their fathers are more likely to be involved in bad peer relationships, have unpleasant romantic endeavors, and make poor life-threatening decisions compared to daughters who are satisfied with their communication interactions with their fathers. The objective of this study was to test a model of father-daughter communication in which attachment style and family communication pattern are possible determinants of relationship maintenance behaviors, interpersonal communication motives, and, ultimately, satisfaction. Two hundred and seven father-daughter dyads participated in the study. Daughters completed items concerning their attachment styles and family communication patterns. Both fathers and daughters completed items on interpersonal communication motives, relationship maintenance behaviors, communication satisfaction, and relationship satisfaction.