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“It Depends on What You Mean by ‘Disagree’”: Differences between Parent and Child Perceptions of Parent–Child Conflict

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Abstract

We examined a new structured interview of parent–child conflict that assesses parent and child perceptions of behavioral conflict about daily life topics (e.g., doing chores, homework), and whether discrepancies exist on beliefs about these topics. In a sample of 100 parents and children ages 10 to 17 years (M = 13.5 years, 52 males, 57 % African-American), informants could reliably distinguish between perceived behavioral conflicts and perceived discrepant beliefs about topics. These scores were also significantly related to questionnaire reports of parent–child conflict. Parent and child questionnaire reports did not significantly differ, yet on the structured interview, parents reported significantly greater levels of perceived conflict and discrepant beliefs relative to child reports. Additionally, structured interview reports of conflict demonstrated incremental validity by relating to child self-reports of delinquent behaviors, when accounting for questionnaire conflict reports. The findings have implications for increasing understanding of the links between parent–child conflict and psychosocial outcomes.

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Acknowledgement

This work was supported, in part, by National Institute on Drug Abuse grant DA018647-05S1 awarded to Andres De Los Reyes. This work was also supported by National Institute on Drug Abuse grant DA018647 awarded to C.W. Lejuez and by an NRSA Predoctoral Award to Katherine Ehrlich (DA027365). We are grateful to C.W. Lejuez for his assistance on participant recruitment for this study, as well as for his commentary on earlier versions of this manuscript. We are also grateful to Brandi Stupica for her statistical consultation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Comprehensive Assessment and Intervention Program, Department of Psychology, University of Maryland at College Park, Biology/Psychology Building, Room 3123H, College Park, MD, 20742, USA

    Andres De Los Reyes, Sarah A. Thomas, Anna J. Swan & Shairy C. Pabón

  2. Maryland Child and Family Development Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Maryland at College Park, Biology/Psychology Building, College Park, MD, 20742, USA

    Katherine B. Ehrlich

  3. School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Elizabeth K. Reynolds

  4. Department of Psychiatry, Institute for Juvenile Research University of Illinois, Chicago, IL, USA

    Liza Suarez

  5. Child Stress and Emotions Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Maryland at College Park, Biology/Psychology Building, College Park, MD, 20742, USA

    Lea R. Dougherty

  6. Center for Addiction, Personality, and Emotions Research, Department of Psychology, University of Maryland at College Park, Biology/Psychology Building, College Park, MD, 20742, USA

    Laura MacPherson

Authors
  1. Andres De Los Reyes
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  2. Sarah A. Thomas
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  4. Katherine B. Ehrlich
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  5. Elizabeth K. Reynolds
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  6. Liza Suarez
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  7. Lea R. Dougherty
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  8. Laura MacPherson
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  9. Shairy C. Pabón
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Correspondence to Andres De Los Reyes.

Additional information

This work was supported, in part, by National Institute on Drug Abuse grant DA018647-05S1 awarded to Andres De Los Reyes. This work was also supported by National Institute on Drug Abuse grant DA018647 awarded to C.W. Lejuez and by an NRSA Predoctoral Award to Katherine Ehrlich (DA027365). We are grateful to C.W. Lejuez for his assistance on participant recruitment for this study, as well as for his commentary on earlier versions of this manuscript. We are also grateful to Brandi Stupica for her statistical consultation

Appendix

Appendix

Daily Life Topics Assessed in the TTI-Behavioral Conflict and TTI-Discrepant Beliefs Sections

  • getting to watch TV shows and movies that you like

  • getting to hang out with friends that you like

  • getting to do fun things after school

  • spending time with the rest of the family

  • doing your homework

  • getting to go to fun places with friends

  • getting good grades

  • getting to do what you want after dinner

  • getting to go on the computer or talk on the phone with friends

  • getting to hang out at friends’ houses

  • getting to wear clothes that you like

  • getting to do things that you want to do on the weekend

  • getting to spend time outside of the house with friends

  • coming home right after school

  • doing your chores

  • keeping yourself clean

Note. We list topics as phrased for the child version of the TTI. Topics on the parent version are phrased in reference to the parent’s perspective (e.g., “your child doing his/her chores”).

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De Los Reyes, A., Thomas, S.A., Swan, A.J. et al. “It Depends on What You Mean by ‘Disagree’”: Differences between Parent and Child Perceptions of Parent–Child Conflict. J Psychopathol Behav Assess 34, 293–307 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10862-012-9288-3

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