Longitudinal transmission of conflict resolution styles from marital relationships to adolescent-parent relationships

M.D. van Doorn, S.J.T. Branje, W.H.J. Meeus

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

This study longitudinally investigated transmission: Can the way adolescents resolve conflicts with their parents be explained by the way parents resolve conflicts with each other? Questionnaires about conflict resolution styles were completed by 282 young adolescents (mean age = 13.2) and their parents. Path analyses with cross-lagged effects indicated that transmission of conflict resolution styles from marital relationships to adolescent-parent relationships occurs: Conflict engagement and positive problem solving in marital relationships were significantly related to, respectively, conflict engagement and positive problem solving in adolescent-parent relationships 2 years later. No significant longitudinal effects emerged with regard to withdrawal. Thus, the study shows that the way marital conflicts are handled affects how adolescents deal with conflicts.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)426-434
Number of pages9
JournalJournal of Family Psychology
Volume21
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Sept 2007

Keywords

  • conflict resolution
  • parent-adolescent relationshipsmarital relationships, transmission
  • marital relationships
  • transmission

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