Adolescents’ Conflict Resolution Styles Toward Mothers: The Role of Parenting and Personality

Abstract

In the present research, we examined associations between contextual and individual factors and adolescents' conflict resolution with mothers. In Study 1, we explored links between maternal responsiveness and psychological control and adolescent conflict resolution styles (positive problem solving, conflict engagement, withdrawal, and compliance) with two informants. In Study 2, we examined the unique contribution of adolescents' personality above and beyond perceived parenting in the prediction of conflict resolution styles. Results of both studies indicated that responsiveness was related positively to problem solving and negatively to withdrawal. Psychological control was positively associated with destructive resolution styles. Study 2 indicated that extraversion predicted more problem solving and conflict engagement, and less withdrawal. Agreeableness predicted more problem solving and less conflict engagement. Finally, certain personality traits moderated associations between parenting and conflict resolution, indicating that some adolescents are more sensitive to these parenting dimensions than others.

Adapting to the changing needs of adolescents: parenting practices and challenges to sensitive attunement

“…Adolescents vary on a wide variety of dimensions that include temperament 40 , sensitivity to parenting 41 , biological vulnerabilities 42, 43 , psychopathology 44, 45 , personality 46 and relationship history 4748 . These individual differences between adolescents may moderate the association between parenting practices and adolescent outcomes and further refine the meaning of sensitive attunement to encompass the ways in which parents adapt their practices to the characteristics of a particular adolescent.…”

Untitled

“…The conflict management way is of crucial importance. Research is confirming the relation between conflict resolution strategy and developmental outcomes such as adolescents' adjustment, social competence, and internalizing and externalizing problems (e. g. Missotten et al, 2016).…”

“…Whilst strategies preferences develop over a person's lifetime, due to its proximal presence the parenting context is primary significant relational context where conflict resolution skills might being learned. While disciplining and guiding the child, nurturing the child's psychological, physical, social, and economic well-being parent provides child with a platform to learn how to deal with conflicts (Jonyniene et al, 2015;Missotten et al, 2016). Children try, exercise, and learn conflict strategies with their parents and generalize these strategies to shape their future conflict behaviour.…”

“…Negative parental demandingness includes parenting practices such as psychological control, inconsistent and punitive discipline, and harsh disciplining. It is described as unsupportive and controlling parenting dimension where manipulative techniques, such as guilt-induction, conditional loving, or shaming are used (Missotten et al, 2016).…”

The role of emotional reactions and retrospective assessment of parental attitudes in controlling destructive strategies for coping with a social conflict situation by junior high school students

“…The activity that an individual undertakes in a difficult situation is considered as a coping strategy in a current difficult situation in a specific situational context (Wrześniewski, 1996;Heszen-Niejodek, 2000). Numerous studies and even ordinary observations indicate that adolescents have a considerable repertoire of strategies for coping with difficult social situations, including, among other things, conflict (Honess et al, 1997;Donaldson, Prinstein, Danovsky, & Spirito, 2000;Wilmot & Hocker, 2001;Frączek, 2003;Borecka-Biernat, 2006;Sikora & Pisula, 2008;Balawajder, 2010;Missotten, Van Leeuwen, Klimstra, & Branje, 2016). Among these are destructive strategies for coping with a social conflict situation in the form of defensive behaviours.…”