Using Mentoring Enactment Theory to Explore the Doctoral Student-Faculty Member Mentoring Relationship

The purpose of this dissertation was threefold. The first purpose was to examine the advisor-advisee mentoring relationship using Mentoring Enactment Theory (Kalbfleisch, 2002). The second purpose was to examine the relationship between advisees\u27 use of relational maintenance behaviors and their own and their advisors\u27 reports of relational characteristics (i.e., liking, communication satisfaction, relational satisfaction, trust, work commitment, and control mutuality). The third purpose was to examine the extent to which advisees\u27 relational uncertainty with their advisors was related to their use of relational maintenance behaviors and their advisors\u27 provision of career support and psychosocial support. The results of Principal Component Analyses, Pearson correlations, and MANOVAs indicate that advisors and advisees have similar perceptions of what behaviors advisees engage in to maintain their advisor-advisee mentoring relationships. These behaviors are: appreciation, courtesy (advisees only), tasks, goals, protection (advisors only), and humor. Advisees\u27 use of these relational maintenance behaviors generally is related positively their own reports of relational characteristics and received mentoring support from their advisors, but advisees\u27 use of relational maintenance behaviors is not related negatively to their relational uncertainty. Similarly, advisors\u27 reports of their advisees\u27 use of relational maintenance behaviors generally are related positively to their own reports of relational characteristics. The results indicate further that the sex composition of the advisor-advisee dyad has minimal impact on advisees\u27 use of relational maintenance behaviors and advisors\u27 provision of career support and psychosocial support for their advisees

Relational Maintenance Behaviors in the Grandchild–Grandparent Relationship

This study examined grandchildren\u27s use of relational maintenance behaviors when interacting with their grandparents and how these behaviors are associated with grandchildren\u27s perceived communication satisfaction with their grandparents and grandparent provision of communication-based emotional support. Undergraduate students (N = 238) reported on their relationships with the grandparent with whom they had the most recent interaction. Results indicate that grandchildren use (in descending order) the positivity, conflict management, tasks, assurances, networks, advice, and openness relational maintenance behaviors. Perceived grandparent provision of communication-based emotional support and grandchildren communication satisfaction with grandparents were directly and positively related to grandchildren\u27s use of relational maintenance behaviors

Like-Grandparent Like-Grandchild: Strengthening Emotional Closeness Through Affectionate Communication and Personality Similarities

International audienceFramed using affection exchange theory, this study aimed to provide a better understanding of grandparent-grandchild relationships during adolescence and emerging adulthood by testing the mediating role of affectionate communication between the grandchild's perception of grandparent-grandchild personality trait similarities and grandchildren's emotional closeness with their grandparents. 710 French adolescents and emerging adults completed surveys in the context of their relationship with a specific grandparent. Results indicated that adolescents perceived more similarity in their agreeableness, conscientiousness, and neuroticism with their grandparents compared to emerging adults, but no significant difference was found for received grandparental affectionate communication. Adolescents also reported greater emotional closeness with their grandparents compared to emerging adults. Mediation analyses partially supported the hypothesized role of received grandparental affection between personality traits similarities and emotional closeness. These findings highlight the role of similarity in personality traits and the importance of affectionate communication to enhance emotional closeness

A Multinational Comparison of Grandchildren’s Received Affection from Their Grandparents

This study sought to address the need for systematic, quantitative cross-cultural comparisons to extend our knowledge of the interplay between cultural backgrounds and human behaviors. Specifically, in this study, we compared young adult Danish, Icelandic, Polish, and American grandchildren’s reports of received affection from their grandparents. The participants (N = 606) completed the Grandchildren’s Received Affection Scale. Results of a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) revealed significant cultural differences in grandchildren’s reports of received affection from their grandparents. Thus, this study extends our understanding of how communicative behaviors differ across cultures; it is also indicative of practical, methodological, and empirical implications