Money, Family, Happiness: Financial Beliefs and Relational Satisfaction in Parent-Young Adult Children Relationships

This study is framed through the lens of communication accommodation theory and examined the effects of accommodative and nonaccommodative communication on relational satisfaction and identity gaps when discussing finances in young-adult child (YAC)-parent relationships. The sample consisted of 276 young-adult college students who completed a self-report survey about how their parent communicates with them about finances. The cross-sectional survey results provided support for two forms of (non)accommodative communication as being significantly associated with relational satisfaction and identity gaps. Respecting divergent values was one type of accommodative communication that was positively associated with relational satisfaction and negatively associated with personal-relational identity gaps. The nonaccommodative behavior of emphasizing divergent values was negatively associated with relational satisfaction and positively associated with personal-relational and personal-enacted identity gaps. Findings suggest theoretical contributions to family, financial, and (non)accommodation communication research.