UC Santa Barbara

The transition to adulthood is particularly stressful for emerging adults, especially those attending college, with young women being more vulnerable to stress, anxiety, and depression. Within the family system, mother-daughter relationships are often characterized by high levels of self-disclosure and interdependence, which can serve as both a source of support and a potential stressor. This dissertation examines the impact of self-disclosure and co-rumination on relational well-being and anxiety in mother-daughter relationships, focusing on various communication channels (video chat, phone call, and text message) as daughters transition to college.Employing a mixed-methods approach, this dissertation consists of three distinct phases. The first two phases involve quantitative data analyses, and the third phase involves qualitative data analysis. The first two phases utilize the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM) and the Actor-Partner Interdependence Moderation Model (APIMoM) to analyze quantitative data. Phase One explores the overall impact of self-disclosure across communication channels (to capture overall mediated self-disclosure) on mothers’ and daughters’ anxiety, closeness, and confirmation. In contrast, Phase Two investigates the differential effects of self-disclosure via specific channels. The findings indicated that daughters' self-disclosure was positively associated with relational well-being (closeness and confirmation) for both themselves and their mothers, with richer cue channels, like video chat and phone calls, having a greater impact on closeness and confirmation than text messaging. Additionally, high levels of co-rumination exacerbated anxiety for both daughters and mothers, with this effect being more pronounced in daughters. Lower levels of co-rumination mitigated anxiety following conversations. Phase Three adopts a qualitative approach to analyze how mothers and daughters discuss the role of technology in maintaining their relationships post-transition. Thematic analysis reveals that active mediated maintenance strategies, such as video calls, are crucial for maintaining closeness, while passive strategies, like social media viewership, provide a sense of "daily talk" and sustained emotional connection. Barriers to effective communication include technological incompatibilities and challenges in conveying tone through text. This study underscores the integral role of technology in maintaining mother-daughter relationships, especially in long-distance contexts. The combination of active strategies such as everyday talk and video calls with passive strategies like location tracking and social media viewership facilitates continuous communication and emotional support. These tools help simulate face-to-face interactions, foster a sense of presence, and sustain connections despite physical separation. Self-disclosure plays a crucial role in fostering relational closeness and confirmation, with open and honest communication leading to stronger bonds and greater satisfaction. However, the impact of self-disclosure on anxiety is nuanced, influenced by the level of co-rumination and the specific communication channel used. Video calls and phone conversations can effectively convey emotional nuances but may increase anxiety if discussions are overly negative, while texting, although convenient for quick check-ins, lacks emotional depth. These findings emphasize the importance of balancing self-disclosure and carefully selecting communication channels to promote emotional well-being and reduce anxiety. By understanding the strengths and limitations of different technological tools, mothers and daughters can strategically use them to enhance their connection and support each other's emotional needs. Ultimately, this research provides valuable insights into how technological affordances and communication practices can be optimized to foster stronger, more resilient familial bonds in the face of physical separation.