title: Communication nonaccommodation in family conversations about end-of-life health decisions.
abstract: Furthering our understanding of how communication can improve end-of-life decision making requires a shift in focus from whether people talk to how people talk about end-of-life health decisions. This study used communication accommodation theory to examine the extent to which communication nonaccommodation distinguished more from less successful end-of-life conversations among family members. We analyzed elicited conversations about end-of-life health decisions from 121 older parent/adult child dyads using outside ratings of communication over- and underaccommodation and self-reported conversational outcomes. Results of multilevel linear modeling revealed that outside ratings of underaccommodation predicted self-reported and partner-reported uncertainty, and ratings of overaccommodation predicted self-reported decision-making efficacy and change in concordance accuracy. We discuss the methodological, theoretical, and practical implications of these findings.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Communication , University of Kentucky.
authors.forename: Allison M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.forename: John P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Caughlin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003142:Communication; D003657:Decision Making; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055361:Multilevel Analysis; D011582:Psychological Theory; D057566:Self Report; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000523:psychology*