Dia 1

1
Dynamics in adolescents relationships with
parents and friendsA diary studyMuriel Van
Doorn, Susan Branje, Joop Hox, Wim
MeeusResearch Centre Adolescent Development,
Utrecht University, The Netherlands
Results - continued -
Introduction
Research questions
RQ 4. Conflict type ? Satisfaction Both
dummy variables constructively and
unconstructively handled conflict were
significantly negatively related to perceived
relationship satisfaction for the relationship
with mothers, fathers, and best friends. This
means that, for all relationships, perceived
relationship satisfaction was highest on days on
which no conflict occurred, second highest on
days on which constructively handled conflict
occurred, and lowest on days on which
unconstructively handled conflict occurred.
RQ 5. Lagged effect conflict type ?
Satisfaction Neither constructively nor
unconstructively handled conflict was related to
perceived relationship satisfaction one day later
in the adolescent-mother and adolescent-father
relationship. In the relationship with best
friends, we found especially unconstructively
handled conflict to have a positive effect on
perceived relationship satisfaction one day
later.

• Do adolescents who differ in their mean levels of
  conflict also differ in their mean levels of
  perceived relationship satisfaction?
• How is conflict on one day related to perceived
  relationship satisfaction on the same day?
• How is conflict on one day related to perceived
  relationship satisfaction one day later?
• How are different ways of handling conflict
  related to perceived relationship satisfaction?
• How are different ways of handling conflict
  related to perceived relationship satisfaction
  one day later?

Adolescents dyadic relationships are largely
based on the interactions that occur over time
between adolescents and their relationship
partners. Daily interactions may temporarily or
permanently affect relationships, and may either
improve them or worsen them. Daily conflict might
affect relationships with parents and friends
differently. According to the social relational
model (Laursen Collins, 1994), an individuals
conflict behavior varies as a function of the
relationship in which it occurs. According to
this theory, adolescents will try to avoid
conflicts with friends and when conflicts with
friends do occur, they tend to avoid expressions
of anger and tend to compromise more in order to
maintain the friendship. In contrast, during
conflict with parents, adolescents will be less
precautious for these relationships are more
likely to prolong. The current study examines
how adolescents navigate through the ups and
downs of daily relationships with parents and
friends by focussing on the consequences of daily
conflicts for perceived relationship
satisfaction.

Relationship satisfaction t-1
Relationship satisfaction t Conflict (type)
t-1
Conflict (type) t
Table 2 The Relation between Conflict Type and
Perceived Relationship Satisfaction
Results
Participants
The current study uses data from 72 adolescents
(40 girls 55.6 ). The age of the adolescents
ranged from 14-16 with a median of 15 years old.
Adolescents were Dutch and lived with both
parents.
RQ 1. Conflicts ? Satisfaction Adolescents
who had a higher average number of conflicts
during the week with mothers, fathers, and best
friends rated the relationship satisfaction with
mothers, fathers, and best friends significantly
lower (r -.47, p lt . 001, r -.42, p lt . 001,
and r -.32, p lt . 05, respectively).
Procedure
For 7 consecutive days, adolescents had to rate
how satisfied they were with the relationship
with mother, father, and best friend on a 5-point
Likert scale ranging from not true at all to
entirely true. Next, they had to indicate how
many conflicts had occurred each day with mother,
father, and best friend. For each conflict that
occurred, adolescents rated to what extend the
adolescent used each of three conflict resolution
styles on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from not
true at all to entirely true (Kurdek,
1994) Positive problem solving (PS) I tried to
find a solution that was mutually acceptable
and/or tried to discuss our differences of
opinion thoroughly, Conflict engagement (CE)
I got angry, assaulted the other person and/or
lost self-control Withdrawal (WI) I refused
to talk about it any longer, did not listen
anymore and/or acted as if I did not care about
it anymore Dummy variables Constructively
handled conflict PS gt CE and PS gt
WI Unconstructively handled conflict CE ? PS or
WI ? PS Multilevel analyses were conducted,
because the diary data were hierarchically nested
and because multilevel modeling enables examining
within-person variability. This means that the
adolescents behavior can be compared to his or
her own behavior rather than to anothers
behavior.
Conclusions
RQ 2. Same day conflict ? Satisfaction
Adolescents rated the perceived relationship
satisfaction with mothers, fathers, and best
friends significantly lower on days on which
conflicts occurred than on days no conflict
occurred (see Table 1). RQ 3. Lagged effect
conflict ? Satisfaction Conflict with mothers
and fathers on one day was not significantly
related to perceived relationship satisfaction
one day later. Conflict with best friends on one
day predicted an increase in perceived
relationship satisfaction with best friends one
day later (see Table 1).
Through the use of a daily diary method we were
able to examine intraindividual or within-person
variability in relationship satisfaction and the
contributing role of conflicts. Similar results
parents - friends Perceived relationship
satisfaction was lower on days on which conflict
occurred than on days on which no conflict
occurred. Also, handling conflicts constructively
has a less negative impact on perceived
relationship satisfaction on the same day than
handling conflicts unconstructively. Different
results parents-friends The effect of a single
conflict with parents on perceived relationship
satisfaction one day later is modest, regardless
of whether it was handled constructively or
unconstructively. Thus, it seems that
adolescents conflicts with parents are just
temporary disruptions in their relationships.
The finding that conflict with friends improved
relationship satisfaction one day later reflects
the open and thus the vulnerability of
friendships, and is in agreement with the social
relational model (Laursen Collins 1994).
Whereas adolescents relationships with parents
will be maintained regardless of the occurrence
of conflicts, adolescents friendships are more
prone to dissolution. Hence, when conflicts
arise, adolescents will have to put more effort
into these friendships in order to maintain them.
After an unconstructively handled conflict with
friends, the need for reparation might be even
larger and adolescents might have to put even
more effort in the relationship in order to
maintain the friendship.
Table 1 The Relation between Conflict and
Perceived Relationship Satisfaction
Society for Research on Child Development,
Boston, MA, March 29April 1, 2007
Correspondence m.d.vandoorn_at_uu.nl