Date of Award
5-2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Department
Communication
First Advisor
Dr. Jennifer Bevan, Ph.D.
Second Advisor
Dr. Gabriel Li
Third Advisor
Dr. Michelle Miller-Day
Fourth Advisor
Dr. Amy Johnson
Abstract
This dissertation examines the psychological and relational factors shaping political communication between Generation Z and their families. Using Communication Privacy Management (CPM) and Family Communication Patterns (FCP) theories as a dual framework, the study investigates how emotions, relational turbulence, and family orientations influence political self-disclosure during face-to-face gatherings. Data were collected via an online survey of 488 Gen Z participants (ages 18–28) following the 2025 Thanksgiving holiday. The results reveal a critical distinction between negative and positive privacy boundary strength. Negative boundary strength, characterized by defensive and restrictive regulation, was consistently associated with heightened experiences of fear, anger, frustration, and shame/guilt, as well as increased relational turbulence. Conversely, positive boundary strength correlated with relational stability and higher family conversation orientation. Notably, individuals with stronger negative boundaries were less likely to avoid disclosure, suggesting that high emotional intensity may drive strategic or confrontational engagement rather than silence. While family conformity orientation reinforced defensive boundaries, interactional factors such as hostile tone and political similarity emerged as more robust predictors of immediate communicative outcomes. These findings advance CPM by positioning privacy as an emotionally embedded regulatory system rather than a purely cognitive process. Ultimately, the study highlights how Gen Z utilizes sophisticated boundary management to navigate the relational risks of political discourse in contemporary family life.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Netherton, B. E. (2026). Silence or self-disclosure? Examining the psychological and relational factors shaping political communication between Gen Z and their families [Doctoral dissertation, Chapman University]. Chapman University Digital Commons. https://doi.org/10.36837/chapman.000723