Skip to main content
Log in

Conflict Resolution Styles in Family Subsystems and Adolescent Romantic Relationships

  • Published:
Journal of Youth and Adolescence Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The purpose of the present study is to examine how conflict resolution styles between one family dyad is related to other family dyads and how conflict resolution styles within these family dyads are related to conflict resolution styles in one relationship outside the family—adolescents' romantic relationships. Late adolescents (n = 217) were asked to report their perceptions of three resolution styles used in interparent, mother–adolescent, father–adolescent, sibling, and romantic couple conflicts. Based on the cases with complete data (n = 163), path analyses indicated that both direct and indirect relationships exist between these dyadic relationships: (1) Resolution styles utilized in the interparent subsystem were found to have a direct relationship with mother–adolescent and father–adolescent resolution and an indirect relationship with sibling and romantic couple resolution. (2) Mother–adolescent and father–adolescent resolution were found to have a direct relationship with sibling and romantic couple resolution. (3) Sibling resolution was found to have a direct relationship with romantic couple resolution for negative resolution styles, but not for the positive resolution style of compromise.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

REFERENCES

  • Bandura, A. (1989). Social cognitive theory. Ann. Child Develop. 6: 1–60.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bollen, K. A. (1989). Structural Equations with Latent Variables. John Wiley & Sons, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Breslin, F. C., Riggs, D. S., O'Leary, K. D., and Aries, I. (1990). Family precursors: Expected and actual consequences of dating aggression. J. Interpers. Vio. 5: 247–258.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brody, G. H., and Forehand, R. (1993). Prospective associations among family form, family processes, and adolescents' alcohol and drug use. Behav. Res. Ther. 31: 587–593.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brody, G., Stoneman, Z., McCoy, K., and Forehand, R. (1992). Contemporaneous and longitudinal associations of sibling conflict with family relationship assessment and family discussions about sibling problems. Child Develop. 63: 391–400.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cole, D. A., and McPherson, A. E. (1993). Relation of family subsystems to adolescent depression: Implementing a new family assessment strategy. J. Family Psychol. 7: 119–133.

    Google Scholar 

  • DeMaris, A. (1987). The efficacy of a spouse abuse model in accounting for courtship violence. J. Family Issues 8: 291–305.

    Google Scholar 

  • Foo, L., and Margolin, G. (1995). A multivariate investigation of dating aggression. J. Family Viol. 10: 351–377.

    Google Scholar 

  • Furman, W., and Buhrmester, D. (1992). Age and sex differences in perceptions of networks of personal relationships. Child Develop. 63: 103–115.

    Google Scholar 

  • Graham-Bermann, S. A., Cutler, S. E., Litzenberger, B. W., and Schwartz, W. E. (1994). Perceived conflict and violence in childhood sibling relationships and later emotional adjustment. J. Family Psychol. 8: 85–97.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hartup, W. W. (1993). Conflict and friendship relations. In Shantz, C. U., and Hartup, W. W. (eds.), Conflict in Child and Adolescent Development. Cambridge University Press, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hotaling, G., and Sugarman, D. (1986). An analysis of risk markers in husband to wife violence: The current state of knowledge. Viol. Victims 1: 101–124.

    Google Scholar 

  • Katz, L. F., and Gottman, J. M. (1993). Patterns of marital conflict predict childrens' internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Develop. Psychol. 29: 940–950.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaufman, J., and Zigler, E. (1987). Do abused children become abusive parents? American J. Orthopsychiat. 57: 186–192.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mangold, W. D., and Koski, P. R. (1990). Gender comparisons in the relationship between parental and sibling violence and nonfamily violence. J. Family Violence 5: 225–235.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marshall, L. L., and Rose, R. (1988). Family of origin violence and courtship abuse. J. Counsel. Develop. 66: 414–418.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marsh, H. W., and Hocevar, D. (1988). A new, more powerful approach to multitrait-multimethod analyses: Application of second-order confirmatory factor analysis. J. Appl. Psychol. 73: 107–117.

    Google Scholar 

  • Montemayor, R., and Hanson, E. A. (1985). A naturalistic view of conflict between adolescents and their parents and siblings. J. Early Adoles. 3: 83–103.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rubenstein, J. L., and Feldman, S. E. (1993). Conflict-resolution behavior in adolescent boys: Antecedents and adaptational correlates. J. Res. Adolesc. 3: 41–66.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sabatelli, R. M., and Bartle, S. E. (1995). Survey approaches to the assessment of family functioning: Conceptual, operational, and analytical issues. J. Marriage Family 57: 1025–1039.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shantz, C. U. (1987). Conflicts between children. Child Development 58: 238–305.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shantz, C. U., and Hartup, W. W. (1992). Conflict in Child and Adolescent Development. Cambridge University Press, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Truscott, D. (1992). Intergenerational transmission of violent behavior in adolescent males. Aggres. Behav. 18: 327–335.

    Google Scholar 

  • von Bertalanffy, L. (1968). General System Theory. George Braziller, New York.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Reese-Weber, M., Bartle-Haring, S. Conflict Resolution Styles in Family Subsystems and Adolescent Romantic Relationships. Journal of Youth and Adolescence 27, 735–752 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022861832406

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022861832406

Keywords

Navigation