Perceptions of Conflict Behavior and Relational Satisfaction in Adult Parent–Child Relationships

Abstract

Dyadic data were used to examine associations between attachment, relational satisfaction, and perceptions of conflict style in adult child-parent relationships. Several actor effects emerged; secure attachment was associated with more collaborating and compromising, dismissive attachment was associated with less collaborating and more indirect fighting and avoiding, and preoccupied attachment was associated with more competitive and indirect fighting. There were also partner effects. Individuals were more likely to report using collaborating and compromising if their partner (parent or child) was secure, and more likely to report indirect fighting if their partner was dismissive. Four actor by partner interactions surfaced. Preoccupied individuals reported more collaborating when their partners were secure and less compromising when their partners were dismissive. Dismissive individuals reported less yielding if their partner was preoccupied. Secure individuals reported less competitive fighting if their partner was fearful. The data also demonstrated that for actor effects, the collaborating style mediated a positive association between secure attachment and relational satisfaction. For partner effects, there were direct associations between a parent's attachment security and a child's relational satisfaction as well as between one's partner's reported use of collaborating and one's own relational satisfaction. These and other findings are discussed in terms of their implications for work on attachment and conflict.

Parental attachment style: examination of links with parent secure base provision and adolescent secure base use

“…In addition, several studies have demonstrated links between parental attachment styles and parent- and child-reported parental behavior with college-aged children (e.g., J. Feeney, 2002, 2006; Kilmann et al, 2009; La Valley & Guerrero, 2012). Thus, additional studies are needed to clarify the nature of these links and explore the four possibilities outlined above.…”

“…Feeney, 2006), and as possessing less knowledge about their whereabouts and activities (Jones, Ehrlich, Lejuez, & Cassidy, 2014). In addition, parental security is positively related to college-aged children’s reports of satisfaction with the parent-child relationship (La Valley & Guerrero, 2012). Although these initial findings are intriguing, more research is needed to better understand the link between parental attachment styles and child perceptions of parents and how these perceptions relate to child behavior and adjustment.…”

Parents’ Self-Reported Attachment Styles

“…Contrary to expectation, Lau and Peterson (2011) found no significant association between attachment style and parental satisfaction. Finally, La Valley and Guerrero (2010) found that security was related to greater parental satisfaction.…”

“…In addition, two studies found that insecure parental attachment styles were related to less supportive and constructive parental behavior during parent-child conflicts (e.g., more anger and yelling, less problem-solving, and less collaborating; J. Feeney, 2006; La Valley & Guerrero, 2010). J. Feeney found that the links between attachment style and conflict behavior were somewhat different for mothers and fathers.…”

Adolescents' and mothers' conflict management constellations: Links with individual and relational functioning

“…Only a few studies have examined specific conflict styles in relation to parent–adolescent relationship satisfaction. Children were more satisfied with the quality of the relationship when using a compromising or complying conflict style (Zhang, ), whereas destructive styles characterized by a demand–withdraw interaction were associated with lower relationship satisfaction for both parents and adolescents (Caughlin & Malis, ; La Valley & Guerrero, ). In a daily diary study by Van Doorn, Branje, Hox, and Meeus (), adolescents' relationship satisfaction with mothers was greater on days with constructive conflicts than on days with destructive conflicts.…”