Family Communication Patterns Theory: Past Developments, Present Applications, and Future Directions

What began as a series of investigations into the role that family communication structures play in political socialization has evolved over the last 60 years into family communication patterns theory (FCPT). The theory assumes that individuals develop family relationship schemas containing certain beliefs about communication that facilitate coorientation processes among family members as they construct their social reality. In this essay, I review key contributions to the development of FCPT, as well as current applications of the theory. The theory has yielded practical insights into how FCPs foster family member health and resilience, and guide family members’ interactions with individuals outside of the family. I conclude by offering three future directions for FCPT: (a) testing developmental changes to FCPs as children age into adulthood and form families of their own, (b) examining variations in FCPs among different cultures, and (c) exploring different sources of variability in perceptions of FCPs.