Family Comm. &Violence
13
Family Communication Patterns were measured using Ritchie and Fitzpatrick’s
Revised Family Communication Patterns instrument (RFCP). The RFCP measures two
dimensions of family communication: conversation orientation and conformity
orientation. Conversation orientation is defined as a family climate where all family
members are encouraged to participation freely in interaction about a wide array of
topics. Conformity orientation is defined as a family climate that stressed homogeneity of
attitudes, values, and beliefs. The RFCP is based on McLeod and Chaffee's (1972)
Family Communication Pattern instrument, but represents an advancement over it in that
it better labels and operationalizes the underlying dimensions of conformity and
conversation orientation (Fitzpatrick & Ritchie, 1994). Both the 11 item conformity
orientation scale ( = .84) and the 16 item conversation orientation scale ( = .92) were
reliable.
Parental Discipline Behaviors were measured using two newly developed scales
assessing parents’ disciplining behaviors during childhood (ages 1-11) and adolescence
(ages 12-18). Respondents were asked to indicate their agreement or disagreement with
21 (childhood) and 24 (adolescence) statements about their parents’ use of disciplining
behaviors. Each scale consisted of items measuring physical (sample item: “My parents
slapped me”) and non-physical punishments (sample item: “My parents took away my
car (or car privileges)”). Reliabilities of the physical discipline scales (childhood: N = 5,
= .79; adolescence: N = 4, = .86), the non-physical discipline scales (childhood: N =
15, = .85; adolescence: N = 20, = .86), and the overall scales (childhood: N = 21, =
.89; adolescence: N = 24, = .88), were acceptable.
Convention