Perceived value congruence and Family Communication Pattern as predictors of parental television mediation

This study sought to determine whether parents' mediation of television content varies with the level of perceived value congruence of that content, to expand upon research regarding the relationship between Family Communication Pattern and mediation strategies, and to explore whether the Family Communication Pattern type alters the mediation practice of parents in the face of content that they believe is incongruent with values. Parents (n=255) of children in the 4th--7th grades were surveyed regarding six different television content genres: tween-targeted comedies, crime-related dramas, non-crime dramas, sitcoms, sports and reality competition shows.;Results indicate that parents' perceptions of the value congruence of television content predict mediation strategy. Perceived congruence with values is correlated with positive active mediation and coviewing. Perceived incongruence with values is correlated with negative active mediation and restrictive mediation.;This study also replicated and expanded upon the research regarding the effects of Family Communication Pattern on mediation strategy. Replicating past research, results indicated that socio-orientation is positively correlated with restrictive mediation, and concept-orientation is associated with both positive active and negative active parental mediation. Unlike past research, socio-orientation was not correlated with coviewing. To expand upon research into the correlation between Family Communication Pattern and mediation strategy, this study asked two investigative research questions to test whether the four categories in the Family Communication Pattern Typology were associated with mediation strategies. Results indicated that the four family types, consensual, protective, pluralistic and laissez-faire, do show some variation in the likelihood to use different mediation strategies.;The final analyses investigated whether Family Communication Pattern impacted the association between perceived value congruence and mediation strategy. Only negative active mediation found a significant difference between family types. Consensual families were more likely to use negative active mediation when faced with incongruent material than were pluralistic and laissez-faire.