Multichannel communication in normal and delinquent families

Families containing adjudicated delinquents or nondisturbed adolescents were engaged in a laboratory interaction procedure aimed at assessing inconsistent (nonredundant) verbal-nonverbal communication patterns. Detailed analyses of verbal, facial, and auditory channels indicated higher rates of positive nonverbal, negative verbal communications in control versus delinquent families and in parent-parent versus parent-child interaction. Results are discussed in terms of the potential adaptive characteristics of such positive inconsistent communications.This article is based on a doctoral dissertation submitted by the first author, under the direction of the second author, to the University of Pittsburgh. Portions of this work were supported by NIMH Grant No. 2 RO1MH 25802 and NIAAA Grant No. 1 K01 AA00027 to Theodore Jacob.