Parent–Adolescent Conflict as Sequences of Reciprocal Negative Emotion: Links with Conflict Resolution and Adolescents’ Behavior Problems

Abstract

Although conflict is a normative part of parent-adolescent relationships, conflicts that are long or highly negative are likely to be detrimental to these relationships and to youths' development. In the present article, sequential analyses of data from 138 parent-adolescent dyads (adolescents' mean age was 13.44, SD = 1.16; 52% girls, 79% nonHispanic White) were used to define conflicts as reciprocal exchanges of negative emotion observed while parents and adolescents were discussing "hot," conflictual issues. Dynamic components of these exchanges, including who started the conflicts, who ended them, and how long they lasted, were identified. Mediation analyses revealed that a high proportion of conflicts ended by adolescents were associated with longer conflicts, which in turn predicted perceptions of the "hot" issue as unresolved and adolescent behavior problems. The findings illustrate advantages of using sequential analysis to identify patterns of interactions and, with some certainty, obtain an estimate of the contingent relationship between a pattern of behavior and child and parental outcomes. These interaction patterns are discussed in terms of the roles that parents and children play when in conflict with each other, and the processes through which these roles affect conflict resolution and adolescents' behavior problems.

“This Is My Responsibility”: Parental Experience of Former Soviet Union Immigrant Parents in Israel

“…Most such conflict revolves around everyday family matters and indicates adolescents' desire for autonomy and independence (Moed et al, 2014). Conflict is seen as evidencing a transformation from unilateral to more mutual relations of young adulthood; in the context of warm, accepting relationships, it is considered to be adaptive for development (Yau & Smetana, 2003).…”

Toward Developing Laboratory-Based Parent–Adolescent Conflict Discussion Tasks that Consistently Elicit Adolescent Conflict-Related Stress Responses: Support from Physiology and Observed Behavior

“…Current work on these topics has progressed from presuming that all families are negatively affected by the “storm and stress” of adolescence, to recognizing that some family environments pose particular risk for maladaptive parent-adolescent conflict and adverse consequences for adolescents (e.g., Donenberg & Weisz, 1997; Hollenstein & Lougheed, 2013; Laursen & Collins, 1994; Rutter, Graham, Chadwick, & Yule, 1976). Although under some circumstances parent-adolescent conflict may be normative and even adaptive (Adams & Laursen, 2007; Laursen & Hafen, 2010), core features of maladaptive conflictual interactions may pose risk for youth maladjustment (e.g., Chaplin et al, 2014; Chaplin et al, 2012; Moed et al, 2015; Turpyn, Chaplin, Cook, & Martelli, 2015). Creating laboratory paradigms of parent-adolescent conflict discussions that approximate adolescents’ conflict-related responses is a first step towards then testing how this conflict impacts adolescent decision-making and behavior.…”

“…Understanding the nature of social stress—often measured with indices of psychophysiological, emotional, and behavioral arousal—in parent-adolescent conflict interactions has become a recent focus of the field due to its link with maladaptive youth outcomes (Chaplin et al, 2014; Chaplin et al, 2012; Crowell et al, 2013; Crowell et al, 2014; Moed et al, 2015; Van der Giessen et al, 2015). Psychophysiological stress during parent-adolescent conflict is frequently assessed via cardiovascular response.…”

Role of Micro- and Mesosystems in Shaping an Adolescent

“…Extremely high levels of cohesion leads to enmeshment, while disengagement is described as too little cohesion, and both are linked with problem behaviors 12,13 . Enmeshed adolescents have been documented to exhibit internalising behaviours while those in disengaged homes showed delinquent behaviors 14 . Age appropriate autonomy along with adequate parental monitoring are emerging as important facets that shape adolescent adaptiveness.…”

“…Early adolescence is marked by the beginning of 'identity' of self and the need for increasing autonomy. This could drive a wedge between parent-adolescent connectedness, and navigating this phase becomes critical in predicting long-term consequences 14 .…”