Shall we quarrel or deal? The argumentation processes of parents and adolescents during family conflicts

Abstract

The polarization of postures in conflicts among parents and adolescents involve a threat for family harmony. Skills for argumentation and perspective taking are required to enable the achievement of satisfactory agreements during the processes of negotiation. The purpose of this paper has been to analyze the skills of parents and adolescents to adopt other perspectives when discussing a conflict by means of observational methodology. The study was carried out with 29 families (constituted by father, mother and an adolescent son or daughter) who were recorded while they argued about a real conflict. Frequency and duration of five levels of perspective-taking were registered (Myself; Reasoned myself; the other like an obstacle; the other adding to me; and us) in the discourse of the family, and also in the different members of the triad, considering their interrelations. The results were showing a moderated level of perspective-taking in family discussions, predominating the levels Reasoned myself, focused on explaining own perspective, and The other like an obstacle, focused on reasons to contest the perspective of the other. In general parents showed more perspective-taking. Particularly the mothers exhibited more sensitivity with her adolescent son or daughter, providing higher levels of perspective-taking and argumentation.