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Browsing by Author "Goldsmith, Daena J."
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Item Communication About Lifestyle Change Between Cardiac Patients and Their Partners(2006) Goldsmith, Daena J.; Gumminger, Kristin Lindholm; Bute, Jennifer J.Although adherence to a heart-healthy lifestyle can improve recovery from a heart attack or bypass surgery, compliance with recommended behavior modifications is generally low. A spouse or partner can influence patient lifestyle change but much remains to be learned about what types of interactions facilitate adherence versus produce overprotection or resistance. We interviewed 25 persons who experienced a cardiac event in the past year and 16 partners. Our goals were to describe how couples talk about adherence and to identify features of communication that were variable, meaningful, and potentially consequential. Couples varied in how often they talked about adherence and those who talked a little, a lot, or occasionally differed not just in quantity of talk but also in the meaning of talk and strategies for regulating its frequency. Adherence talk occurred in various speech events, including praise, problem-solving discussion, acknowledgment, meta-communication, argument, and compliance-gaining. Different types of episodes entailed different roles and relational qualities. When partners engaged in compliance-gaining, the style in which they attempted social control (e.g., direct or indirect, humorous or serious, ritualistic or not, verbal or nonverbal) shaped its meaning. Our findings are consistent with Goldsmith’s (2004) theory of social support and have implications for how we conceptualize and measure couple communication about adherence. Our descriptions of behavior may help couples understand why they experience interactions as supportive or not. Describing behaviors can also give validation to couples experiencing communication challenges as well as offer a range of possible alternatives for interacting.Item Patient and Partner Strategies for Talking about Lifestyle Change Following a Cardiac Event(2011-11) Goldsmith, Daena J.; Bute, Jennifer J.; Lindholm, Kristin A.Heart patients are frequently advised to make lifestyle changes and communication with a romantic partner can help or hinder adoption of heart healthy behaviors. However, talking about lifestyle change can have both positive and negative meanings and this can create dilemmas for couples. We engaged in an interpretive analysis of interviews with 25 patients and 16 partners to identify the ways they managed the meanings of lifestyle change talk. Their communicative strategies included rationing talk, saying it nicely and framing it cooperatively. Each strategy had advantages and disadvantages as well as optimal conditions. We also identified interpretive lenses that shaped the meaning of talk, including legitimacy, patience, emphasizing the positive, moderation, benefits for both people, and perceived compliance. Finally, environmental resources (such as household patterns and communication with the social network) contextualized the meaning of talk. We proposed a model of the interrelated influence of communication, interpretation, and environment on the meanings of talking about lifestyle change.