The Relationship between Parents’ Self-perceived Family Communication Patterns, Self-reported Conflict Management Styles, and Self-reported Relationship Satisfaction with their Children in Thimphu City, Bhutan

Abstract

The objective of this survey research is to explore the relationships among Bhutanese parents’ self-perceived family communication patterns, conflict management styles, and their perception of relationship satisfaction with their children. Four hundred educated parents currently living in Thimphu City, Bhutan, responded to the questionnaires. The sample was selected by using stratified sampling and convenience sampling methods. The data was tabulated and analyzed by using Chi-square, Multivariate of Analysis (MANOVA), Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), and Multiple Regression at the significance level of .05. The findings revealed as follows: (1) The Bhutanese parents’ income level difference was significantly correlated with their self-perceived family communication patterns, but were not significantly associated with gender, age, education level, occupation level, marital status, number of offspring, and family type. (2) The Bhutanese parents’ gender difference, education level, and income level difference were significantly associated with their self-reported conflict management styles, but were not significantly associated with age, occupation level, marital status, number of offspring, and family type. (3) The Bhutanese parents’ self-perceived family communication patterns exhibited significantly different conflict management styles. The consensual parents exhibited significantly stronger avoiding style than the pluralistic parents and laissezfaire parents, while consensual parents and protective parents exhibited stronger competing style than the pluralistic parents. The consensual parents also exhibited stronger compromising style and accommodating style than the protective parents, pluralistic parents, and laissez-faire parents, but protective parents and pluralistic parents exhibited significantly stronger accommodating style than the laissez-faire parents. On the other hand, the consensual parents and pluralistic parents exhibited significantly stronger collaborating style than protective parents and laissez-faire parents. (4) The consensual parents and pluralistic parents exhibited a higher relationship satisfaction than protective parents and laissez-faire parents. (5) The Bhutanese parents who adopted collaborating style and accommodating style exhibited a higher degree of relationship satisfaction than compromising style, avoiding style, and competing style, respectively.