本书从三层关系维系模型(自我层面、系统层面、外缘层面)出发探究中国留守儿童与父母之间的沟通和亲子关系质量。具体而言，本书探索了留守儿童如何想象与父母的交流(自我)；父母和留守儿童使用何种关系维系行为来应对分离状态(系统)；来自祖父母的支持如何帮助留守儿童及其父母维持远距离亲子关系(外缘)。本书的目的一方面在于拓展想象交流、关系维系行为和家庭支持方面的理论研究，另一方面在于帮助留守儿童及其父母维系远距离亲子关系并提升关系质量。本书的结论建议：在年龄、沟通频率、团聚频率等因素受控制的情况下，留守儿童的想象交流更多用于缓解压力和提升自我认知时，留守儿童从父母处感受到更多愉快的和任务分享型的关系维系行为时，其亲子关系质量更佳。

Chapter 1Introduction 1.1Problem Statement and Rationale of the Study 1.2The Goal of the Study Chapter 2Literature Review 2.1LeftBehind Children and Migrant Parents in China 2.1.1Phenomenon of LeftBehind Children 2.1.2Definition of LeftBehind Children 2.1.3Communication Between LeftBehind Children and Migrant Parents 2.2Theoretical Perspective: FourLevel Metaperspective on Relational Maintenance 2.2.1Definition of Relational Maintenance 2.2.2FourLevel Context of Maintenance 2.3The Self Context: Imagined Interactions 2.3.1Definitions and Theoretical Foundations of IIs 2.3.2Functions of IIs 2.3.3Attributes of IIs 2.3.4IIs in Maintaining Relationships 2.4The System Context: Relational Maintenance Behaviors 2.4.1Perspectives on Relational Maintenance 2.4.2Types of Relational Maintenance Behaviors 2.4.3Maintaining Long Distance ParentChild Relationships 2.4.4Relational Maintenance Behaviors and Relationship Outcomes 2.5The Network Context: Grandparents Support 2.5.1Family Support 2.5.2Grandparents as Caregivers 2.6Hypotheses and Research Questions 2.6.1IIs and Their Association With Relationship Quality 2.6.2Relational Maintenance Behaviors and Their Association With Relationship Quality 2.6.3Support and Relationship Quality 2.6.4Communication and Its Association With IIs and Relationship Quality 2.6.5IIs, Relational Maintenance Behaviors, Support, and Relationship Quality Chapter 3Methodology 3.1Pilot Study 3.1.1Participants and Procedures 3.1.2Measurements 3.1.3Results of the Pilot Study 3.2Main Study 3.2.1Participants and Procedures 3.2.2Measurements 3.2.3Statistical Analysis Chapter 4Results 4.1Background Characteristics 4.1.1Participants Demographic Information 4.1.2ParentChild Communication 4.2Findings of the Proposed Research Questions and Hypotheses 4.2.1IIs and Their Association With Relationship Quality 4.2.2Relational Maintenance Behaviors and Their Association With Relationship Quality 4.2.3Support and Relationship Quality 4.2.4Communication and Its Association With IIs and Relationship Quality 4.2.5IIs, Relational Maintenance Behaviors, Support, and Relationship Quality Chapter 5Discussion 5.1Theoretical Implications 5.1.1A Systems Approach to ParentChild Relationship Maintenance 5.1.2ThreeLevel Maintenance and Relationship Quality 5.1.3Other Important Findings 5.2Practical Applications 5.3Limitations and Directions for Future Research 5.3.1Culture Level of Relational Maintenance 5.3.2Developmental Issues in ParentChild Relationship Maintenance 5.3.3Research Frame and Design 5.4Conclusion Appendices Appendix ADemographic Information and Communication Between Left Behind Children and Migrant Parents Appendix BModified Survey of Imagined Interactions Appendix CPerceptions of Parents Relational Maintenance Appendix DModified Family Subscale from the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support Appendix EThe Perceived Relationship Quality Component (PRQC) Inventory