Sylvia L Mikucki-Enyart
Biographic Data
| ID | 949069 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Sylvia L Mikucki-Enyart |
| GIVEN NAMES | Sylvia L |
| FAMILY NAME | Mikucki-Enyart |
| SIGNATURE | MIKUCKI-ENYART S L |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Iowa |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-3352-3599 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 13 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 54 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 13 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2011 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 5 |
Parental Uncertainty, Uncertainty Management, and Relational Satisfaction Surrounding the Transition to an Adult Child’s Marriage
Setting the Agenda
We call on family communication scholars to take a renewed interest in extended family relationships, including grandparents, in-laws, and aunts and uncles. Further, we encourage scholars to employ a racial-ethnic and global diversity perspective when studying extended kin to understand nuances and variations in these important family ties. We review current literature on these relationships and provide broad considerations and specific suggestio…
Adult Stepchildren’s Uncertainty Management in Later Life Stepfamilies
Increasing divorce and remarriage rates among middle and older aged adults has resulted in an uptick of later life stepfamilies (LLSF). Despite these growing numbers, research often focuses on stepfamily development in adolescence, leaving lingering questions about how adult stepchildren navigate this transition, including grappling with uncertainties. Guided by uncertainty management theory, we conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews with…
Introduction to the Special Issue on Family Communication in the Covid-19 Pandemic
This introduction discusses the importance of researching how the COVID-19 has affected family relationships. Additionally, it introduces the articles in the special issue "Family Communication in the COVID-19 Pandemic" and outlines directions for continued research examining the long-lasting consequences, positive and negative, of the COVID-19 pandemic
Understanding Parents-in-Law’s Uncertainty Management through a Relational Turbulence Lens
This study investigated parents-in-law's (PIL) relational uncertainty management, specifically, associations between PIL’s relational uncertainty, cognitions (i.e., identity goal and perceived communication efficacy), and relational uncertainty management choices (i.e., direct uncertainty communication and linchpin mediated communication) were examined. Results from an online survey of PIL revealed that relational uncertainty was negatively assoc…
Obstacles and Opportunities Experienced by Adult Stepchildren in Later Life Stepfamilies
The present study examined adult stepchildren’s perspectives regarding their later life stepfamilies. Twenty-six adult stepchildren who experienced parental divorce and remarriage in adulthood, defined as 18 years of age or older, participated in semi-structured, qualitative interviews. Results revealed that adult stepchildren experienced both obstacles and opportunities in their later life stepfamily. Challenges encompassed “feeling caught,” ter…
Children-in-laws' message processing
Uncertainty is germane to the in-law experience. Although associations between in-law's doubts and message production are well documented, less is known about how in-law's uncertainty corresponds with their message processing and how these evaluations associate with relational outcomes. Weaving theorizing on uncertainty and goal detection, the present study examined associations between children-in-law's uncertainty, message processing, and marit…
In-Laws’ Perceptions of Topic Avoidance, Goal Inferences, and Relational Outcomes
Utilizing a multiple goals theory of personal relationships, the present study examined conditions under which in-laws’ are more or less dissatisfied with each other’s’ topic avoidance (i.e., general and in-law specific). Results from unpaired parents-in-law (n = 154) and children-in-law (n = 199) revealed that the topic of perceived avoidance was important in determining relational outcomes (i.e., relationship satisfaction and family connection)…
Parents-in-law's topic avoidance
Utilizing dual logic from a multiple goals and relational turbulence theory, this study examined parents-in-law's interaction goals for topic avoidance with their children-in-law. Data from 159 parents-in-law revealed that multiple and conflicting goals were associated with parents-in-law's topic avoidance. Furthermore, relational parameters (i.e., relational uncertainty and partner influence) were associated with the goals in-laws pursued. Resul…
Was it all smoke and mirrors
The present study utilizes the relational turbulence model (RTM) to illuminate adult children's experiences of relational uncertainty and interference from partners following late-life parental divorce (LLPD). In-depth, semi-structured interviews with 25 adult children who had experienced parental divorce later in life revealed that adult children grappled with four broad themes of relational uncertainty: (a) parent-adult child relationship uncer…
Caring for a Parent with Lung Cancer
We investigated communication and care in the context of lung cancer through qualitative interviews with 35 adult children. Participants described two core influences on communication: situational and relational influences. Participants also suggested that the ways in which support was communicated impacted how they managed challenges and how they were able to cope with the loss of their parent. This research adds to the literature on caregiving …
Parent-in-Law Privacy Management
The present study used dual reasoning from communication privacy management theory and relational uncertainty to investigate how parents-in-law protected privacy boundaries within the parent- and child-in-law dyad. More specifically, the links among relational uncertainty, topic avoidance, family in-group status, and satisfaction were explored. Study 1 (N = 59) provided descriptive data on categories of parent-in-law relational uncertainty. These…
Being Open without Talking about It
The present study uses a rhetorical/normative perspective to examine families' communication and coping in response to a parent's diagnosis of, and eventual death from, lung cancer. Through in-depth, semistructured interviews with 35 adult children, we identified two broad areas of communicative avoidance (avoiding information and avoiding emotion) and three general ways of managing avoidance and openness (denial, segmentation, and being open whi…
Being Open without Talking about It
The present study uses a rhetorical/normative perspective to examine families' communication and coping in response to a parent's diagnosis of, and eventual death from, lung cancer. Through in-depth, semistructured interviews with 35 adult children, we identified two broad areas of communicative avoidance (avoiding information and avoiding emotion) and three general ways of managing avoidance and openness (denial, segmentation, and being open whi…
Children-in-laws' message processing
Uncertainty is germane to the in-law experience. Although associations between in-law's doubts and message production are well documented, less is known about how in-law's uncertainty corresponds with their message processing and how these evaluations associate with relational outcomes. Weaving theorizing on uncertainty and goal detection, the present study examined associations between children-in-law's uncertainty, message processing, and marit…
Was it all smoke and mirrors
The present study utilizes the relational turbulence model (RTM) to illuminate adult children's experiences of relational uncertainty and interference from partners following late-life parental divorce (LLPD). In-depth, semi-structured interviews with 25 adult children who had experienced parental divorce later in life revealed that adult children grappled with four broad themes of relational uncertainty: (a) parent-adult child relationship uncer…
Parents-in-law's topic avoidance
Utilizing dual logic from a multiple goals and relational turbulence theory, this study examined parents-in-law's interaction goals for topic avoidance with their children-in-law. Data from 159 parents-in-law revealed that multiple and conflicting goals were associated with parents-in-law's topic avoidance. Furthermore, relational parameters (i.e., relational uncertainty and partner influence) were associated with the goals in-laws pursued. Resul…
Parent-in-Law Privacy Management
The present study used dual reasoning from communication privacy management theory and relational uncertainty to investigate how parents-in-law protected privacy boundaries within the parent- and child-in-law dyad. More specifically, the links among relational uncertainty, topic avoidance, family in-group status, and satisfaction were explored. Study 1 (N = 59) provided descriptive data on categories of parent-in-law relational uncertainty. These…
In-Laws’ Perceptions of Topic Avoidance, Goal Inferences, and Relational Outcomes
Utilizing a multiple goals theory of personal relationships, the present study examined conditions under which in-laws’ are more or less dissatisfied with each other’s’ topic avoidance (i.e., general and in-law specific). Results from unpaired parents-in-law (n = 154) and children-in-law (n = 199) revealed that the topic of perceived avoidance was important in determining relational outcomes (i.e., relationship satisfaction and family connection)…
Caring for a Parent with Lung Cancer
We investigated communication and care in the context of lung cancer through qualitative interviews with 35 adult children. Participants described two core influences on communication: situational and relational influences. Participants also suggested that the ways in which support was communicated impacted how they managed challenges and how they were able to cope with the loss of their parent. This research adds to the literature on caregiving …
Setting the Agenda
We call on family communication scholars to take a renewed interest in extended family relationships, including grandparents, in-laws, and aunts and uncles. Further, we encourage scholars to employ a racial-ethnic and global diversity perspective when studying extended kin to understand nuances and variations in these important family ties. We review current literature on these relationships and provide broad considerations and specific suggestio…
Adult Stepchildren’s Uncertainty Management in Later Life Stepfamilies
Increasing divorce and remarriage rates among middle and older aged adults has resulted in an uptick of later life stepfamilies (LLSF). Despite these growing numbers, research often focuses on stepfamily development in adolescence, leaving lingering questions about how adult stepchildren navigate this transition, including grappling with uncertainties. Guided by uncertainty management theory, we conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews with…
Introduction to the Special Issue on Family Communication in the Covid-19 Pandemic
This introduction discusses the importance of researching how the COVID-19 has affected family relationships. Additionally, it introduces the articles in the special issue "Family Communication in the COVID-19 Pandemic" and outlines directions for continued research examining the long-lasting consequences, positive and negative, of the COVID-19 pandemic
Parent-in-Law Privacy Management
The present study used dual reasoning from communication privacy management theory and relational uncertainty to investigate how parents-in-law protected privacy boundaries within the parent- and child-in-law dyad. More specifically, the links among relational uncertainty, topic avoidance, family in-group status, and satisfaction were explored. Study 1 (N = 59) provided descriptive data on categories of parent-in-law relational uncertainty. These…
Being Open without Talking about It
The present study uses a rhetorical/normative perspective to examine families' communication and coping in response to a parent's diagnosis of, and eventual death from, lung cancer. Through in-depth, semistructured interviews with 35 adult children, we identified two broad areas of communicative avoidance (avoiding information and avoiding emotion) and three general ways of managing avoidance and openness (denial, segmentation, and being open whi…
Caring for a Parent with Lung Cancer
We investigated communication and care in the context of lung cancer through qualitative interviews with 35 adult children. Participants described two core influences on communication: situational and relational influences. Participants also suggested that the ways in which support was communicated impacted how they managed challenges and how they were able to cope with the loss of their parent. This research adds to the literature on caregiving …
Was it all smoke and mirrors
The present study utilizes the relational turbulence model (RTM) to illuminate adult children's experiences of relational uncertainty and interference from partners following late-life parental divorce (LLPD). In-depth, semi-structured interviews with 25 adult children who had experienced parental divorce later in life revealed that adult children grappled with four broad themes of relational uncertainty: (a) parent-adult child relationship uncer…
In-Laws’ Perceptions of Topic Avoidance, Goal Inferences, and Relational Outcomes
Utilizing a multiple goals theory of personal relationships, the present study examined conditions under which in-laws’ are more or less dissatisfied with each other’s’ topic avoidance (i.e., general and in-law specific). Results from unpaired parents-in-law (n = 154) and children-in-law (n = 199) revealed that the topic of perceived avoidance was important in determining relational outcomes (i.e., relationship satisfaction and family connection)…
Parents-in-law's topic avoidance
Utilizing dual logic from a multiple goals and relational turbulence theory, this study examined parents-in-law's interaction goals for topic avoidance with their children-in-law. Data from 159 parents-in-law revealed that multiple and conflicting goals were associated with parents-in-law's topic avoidance. Furthermore, relational parameters (i.e., relational uncertainty and partner influence) were associated with the goals in-laws pursued. Resul…
Children-in-laws' message processing
Uncertainty is germane to the in-law experience. Although associations between in-law's doubts and message production are well documented, less is known about how in-law's uncertainty corresponds with their message processing and how these evaluations associate with relational outcomes. Weaving theorizing on uncertainty and goal detection, the present study examined associations between children-in-law's uncertainty, message processing, and marit…
Understanding Parents-in-Law’s Uncertainty Management through a Relational Turbulence Lens
This study investigated parents-in-law's (PIL) relational uncertainty management, specifically, associations between PIL’s relational uncertainty, cognitions (i.e., identity goal and perceived communication efficacy), and relational uncertainty management choices (i.e., direct uncertainty communication and linchpin mediated communication) were examined. Results from an online survey of PIL revealed that relational uncertainty was negatively assoc…
Obstacles and Opportunities Experienced by Adult Stepchildren in Later Life Stepfamilies
The present study examined adult stepchildren’s perspectives regarding their later life stepfamilies. Twenty-six adult stepchildren who experienced parental divorce and remarriage in adulthood, defined as 18 years of age or older, participated in semi-structured, qualitative interviews. Results revealed that adult stepchildren experienced both obstacles and opportunities in their later life stepfamily. Challenges encompassed “feeling caught,” ter…
Introduction to the Special Issue on Family Communication in the Covid-19 Pandemic
This introduction discusses the importance of researching how the COVID-19 has affected family relationships. Additionally, it introduces the articles in the special issue "Family Communication in the COVID-19 Pandemic" and outlines directions for continued research examining the long-lasting consequences, positive and negative, of the COVID-19 pandemic
Adult Stepchildren’s Uncertainty Management in Later Life Stepfamilies
Increasing divorce and remarriage rates among middle and older aged adults has resulted in an uptick of later life stepfamilies (LLSF). Despite these growing numbers, research often focuses on stepfamily development in adolescence, leaving lingering questions about how adult stepchildren navigate this transition, including grappling with uncertainties. Guided by uncertainty management theory, we conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews with…
Setting the Agenda
We call on family communication scholars to take a renewed interest in extended family relationships, including grandparents, in-laws, and aunts and uncles. Further, we encourage scholars to employ a racial-ethnic and global diversity perspective when studying extended kin to understand nuances and variations in these important family ties. We review current literature on these relationships and provide broad considerations and specific suggestio…
Parental Uncertainty, Uncertainty Management, and Relational Satisfaction Surrounding the Transition to an Adult Child’s Marriage
Psychology (11 works) · Social Psychology (10 works) · Attachment and Relationship Dynamics (9 works) · Family Dynamics and Relationships (7 works) · Social Psychology (7 works) · Law (5 works) · Political science (5 works) · Sociology (5 works) · Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development (4 works) · Developmental psychology (4 works)