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.