Journal of Youth and Adolescence, Vol. 29, No.

6, 2000

Middle and Late Adolescents Conict Resolution Skills with Siblings: Associations with Interparental and ParentAdolescent Conict Resolution
Marla Reese-Weber1
Received June 27, 1999; accepted July 24, 2000

The present study examined whether conict resolution skills utilized in the interparental and parentadolescent relationships were related to adolescents conict resolution skills with siblings. The associations between interparental, parent adolescent, and sibling conict resolution skills were compared for middle and late adolescents. Middle adolescents ( N = 89) and late adolescents ( N = 90) reported their perceptions of attack and compromise conict resolution styles for both family members within a dyadic relationship. Differences were found between middle and late adolescents regarding their perceptions of attack and compromise resolution styles utilized in family dyadic relationships. Path analysis results indicated that the inuence of interparental conict resolution on sibling conict resolution was mediated by momadolescent and dadadolescent resolution for both middle and late adolescents. Theoretical and empirical implications of these ndings are discussed here. INTRODUCTION Effective conict resolution skills are essential at each developmental stage of life for productive and harmonious relationships. Because individuals are likely to disagree or have differences of opinion, conict resolution skills are necessary to cope with these differences and remain within a positive relationship (Shantz and Hartup, 1992). The sibling relationship has previously been found to provide
Support for this research was provided by a grant from the Ohio Department of Mental Health. Professor, Department of Psychology, Illinois State University, Illinois 61790-4620. Received her Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Science from The Ohio State University. Major research interest is the development of adolescent conict resolution skills within the family and romantic relationships. To whom correspondence should be addressed at Department of Psychology, Illinois State University, Campus Box 4620, Normal, Illinois 61790-4620; e-mail: mjreese@ilstu.edu. 697
0047-2891/00/1200-0697$18.00/0
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1 Assistant

2000 Plenum Publishing Corporation

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opportunities for developing conict resolution skills (Anderson et al., 1994). The sibling relationship is also important because the rst peer-like relationship that most children experience is with a sibling (Katz et al., 1992). Because the sibling relationship provides a setting in which to develop and practice conict resolution skills that may be used in other relationships, the formation of conict resolution skills with siblings is important. The development of conict resolution skills with siblings is most likely inuenced by the context in which siblings interactthe family (Hetherington, 1994). Although numerous studies have examined the association between interparental, parentadolescent, and sibling conict (Brody et al., 1987; Brody et al., 1992; Patterson, 1982), few studies have examined how conict resolution skills in one dyadic family relationship may be related to conict resolution skills in other family dyads. The development of conict resolution skills seems particularly important during adolescence. The development of cognitive skills during adolescence may inuence the effectiveness of conict resolution skills with family members (Smetana, 1989). In addition, developmental issues during adolescence, such as gaining independence, moving away from home, and possibly attending college, may change the inuence the family context has on conict resolution skills in the sibling relationship. Hence, associations between interparental, parentadolescent, and sibling conict resolution skills may differ depending on developmental status. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether the conict resolution skills utilized in the interparental and parentadolescent relationships inuence sibling conict resolution skills, and whether the inuence is similar for middle adolescents and late adolescents. Theoretical perspectives have addressed how interparental and parent adolescent relationships may be related to sibling behavior. Social learning theory suggests that behaviors modeled by others may be imitated in other relationships. Specically, behaviors of higher status individuals are more likely to be imitated by individuals of lower status (Bandura, 1989). Within a family, parents might be considered to be at a higher status than their adolescents are. For instance, parental conicts (interparental, parentadolescent conict) would be more likely to inuence sibling conicts than the reverse. In addition to social learning theory, systems theory (von Bertalanffy, 1968) indicates that family subsystems are hierarchically arranged, again suggesting that parents behaviors would inuence adolescents rather than the reverse. In addition to theoretical perspectives, empirical research examining the association between interparental and sibling conict indicates that a relationship exists. Brody et al. (1987) found that qualities of the interparental relationship, including conict, signicantly predicted siblings observed prosocial and agonistic behavior toward one another. In addition, longitudinal research has indicated a relationship between interparental and sibling conict. Brody et al. (1992)

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found that an increase in interparental conict was related to an increase in sibling conict concurrently and 1 year later. These studies seem to indicate that interparental conict is one of the variables that inuences conict in the sibling relationship. Other research has not focused on the association between interparental and sibling conict but has examined the relationship between parentadolescent and sibling conict. For example, Pattersons work (Patterson, 1982,1986) has contributed greatly to understanding the link between parentadolescent and sibling conict. Pattersons coercive family model indicates that interactions in which parents fail to stop their child/adolescent from escalating conict and continue to engage with their adolescent may result in increasingly negative exchanges. Furthermore, the coercive exchanges between parents and adolescents can lead to similar interactions between adolescents and their sibling (Patterson, 1986). Pattersons work can be understood from a social learning perspective. Social learning theory suggests that behaviors are modeled (i.e., parentadolescent conict) and may later be imitated by others (i.e., sibling conict) (Patterson, 1982). In addition to the association between the occurrence of conict in parentadolescent and sibling dyads, a relationship has been found with conict resolution skills. Montemayor and Hanson (1985) found that 15-year-old adolescents reports of conict resolution styles utilized in the parentadolescent dyad were similar to those used in the sibling dyad. Taken together, research indicates that behaviors, including conict resolution skills, displayed in the parentadolescent dyad may also be displayed in the sibling relationships. In sum, both the interparental and the parentadolescent relationships appear to inuence sibling conict behavior. However, research focusing on 2 family dyadic relationships does not provide information on how interparental and parent adolescent dyads interact to inuence sibling conict. More recent research has not limited the focus of analysis to 2 family dyadic relationships, but has assessed behaviors in 3 dyadic relationships (interparental, parentadolescent, and sibling) (Brody et al., 1994; Erel et al., 1998) and 4 dyadic relationships (interparental, momadolescent, dadadolescent, and sibling) (Jorgensen, 1985; Reese-Weber and Bartle-Haring, 1998). Research assessing 3 or more family dyadic relationships has found that a direct relationship does not exist between interparental conict and siblings behavior. Brody et al., (1994) examined the relationship between interparental conict, parents differential treatment of their children/adolescents (615 years old), and negativity in the sibling relationship. The results indicated that interparental conict did not have a direct inuence on the sibling relationship, but was mediated by parents differential treatment of their adolescents. Erel et al. (1998) also found that interparental conict did not have a direct relationship with siblings negative interactions, but was mediated by mothers behaviors toward the child (68 years old). Hence, a mediational model appears to exist in which interparental conict

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inuences the parentadolescent relationship, which in turn inuences the sibling relationship. Previous research with middle adolescents has not examined the existence of the mediational model for the specic variable of conict resolution skills. In addition, most research examining the relationships between family dyads has only included samples of early or middle adolescents. As mentioned here, changes throughout the period of adolescence, including living independently during late adolescence, may inuence the association between family dyads. Jorgenson (1985) did assess late adolescents perspectives of conict resolution skills in multiple family dyads. The results indicated that resolution skills utilized in the interparental dyad were likely to be utilized in the momadolescent, dad adolescent, and sibling dyads. However, the model previously found with middle adolescents, in which the association between interparental conict and sibling conict was mediated by parentadolescent conict, was not examined. Reese-Weber and Bartle-Haring (1998) did examine a mediational model for interparental, momadolescent, dadadolescent, sibling, and romantic partner conict resolution in a sample of late adolescents. Findings indicated that the interparental conict resolution skills inuenced both momadolescent and dad adolescent conict resolution skills, which in turn inuenced sibling resolution skills. Momadolescent, dadadolescent, and sibling conict resolution skills were found to be related to conict resolution skills with romantic partners. Although not the focus of this study, the results indicate that the relationship between interparental and sibling conict resolution skills is mediated by momadolescent and dadadolescent conict resolution skills. The results are consistent with the mediational model found in research on conict, in general, with middle adolescents. Hence, research with middle adolescents suggests that a mediational relationship exists for the occurrence of conict, and research with late adolescents indicates that a similar mediational model exists for conict resolution skills. Given the theoretical and empirical literature, 2 questions are left unanswered: (1) Does the mediational model exist for middle adolescents regarding conict resolution skills? and (2) Are there developmental differences between patterns of association for middle and late adolescents? The present study examines conict resolution skills in the interparental, momadolescent, dadadolescent, and sibling relationship for 2 developmental stagesmiddle adolescence and late adolescence. The samples were taken from 2 larger studies investigating additional variables (e.g., adolescent adjustment, romantic relationships). Participants were selected from the larger studies based on sibling structure variables (i.e., age, spacing, birth order). As suggested by Cicirelli (1991), sibling relationships were limited to 1 dyad, rather than multiple sibling dyads. Adolescents were asked to report conict resolution skills with the sibling closest in age to them. In addition, adolescents were included in the present study only if they had reported conict resolution skills with a younger sibling. Although ideally all sibling structure variables should be

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controlled, because of the diversity in families and sibling relationships, numerous constraints would have resulted in extremely small samples. Because interpersonal conict, and therefore conict resolution, does not occur to an individual but within a dyadic relationship (Hartup and Laursen, 1991), middle and late adolescents were asked to provide their perceptions of resolution skills utilized by both family members within a dyad (e.g., adolescents reported the resolution behaviors of both mom and dad for the interparental dyad). Dyadic variables were created and analyzed with path analysis procedures. Based on the previous research, the main hypothesis was that the relationship between conict resolution skills in the interparental and sibling relationship would be mediated by the resolution skills in the momadolescent and dadadolescent dyads. In addition, because similar mediational models have been found for both middle and late adolescents, differences in the hypothesized mediational model between middle and late adolescents were not expected.

METHOD Sample and Procedures for Middle Adolescents Data from the middle adolescent sample was taken from a larger study assessing adolescents, mothers, fathers, and siblings perspectives of conict resolution styles and adolescent adjustment (the present study utilized data only from adolescents perspectives of conict resolution styles). Family requirements for participation in the larger study included (a) 2 parents living in the home, (b) a high school-aged adolescent, (c) a sibling not more than 4 years younger than the high school-aged adolescent, and (d) no family member currently in psychotherapy. Adolescents and their families were recruited by 2 methods. First, mailing addresses from 2 midwestern high schools were obtained, and 1064 families were invited by mail to participate. Eighty-eight families indicated interest in participation and were mailed the questionnaires. Second, undergraduate students were given extra class credit for the recruitment of families. Undergraduate research assistants were given 162 recruitment letters to be given to families meeting the requirements. Sixty-four families recruited by undergraduate research assistants indicated interest in participation and were mailed the questionnaires. A total of 152 interested families were mailed the questionnaires. Eighty-nine families returned the completed questionnaires and were sent the $20 participation fee. The 89 middle adolescents (33 males and 54 females) participating in the study had a mean age of 16.2 years. Siblings (40 males and 43 females) were on an average 2.8 years younger than the adolescents. The majority of middle adolescents were white (92%), with 95% from intact families. The remaining adolescents were from stepfamilies. Average family income was $70,000 annually.

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Sample and Procedures for Late Adolescents Data from the late adolescent sample was taken from a larger study (ReeseWeber and Bartle-Haring, 1998) assessing late adolescents perspectives of conict resolution styles in family relationships and romantic relationships. Requirements for participation in the original study included having at least 1 sibling and currently being in an exclusive romantic relationship that was at least 1-month old. Undergraduate students from a large midwestern university were given extra class credit for their voluntary participation in this study and their assistance in the recruitment of participants. Students volunteering to participate and meeting the requirements completed and returned the questionnaires during class time. Students assisting with the recruitment procedures provided questionnaires to other undergraduate students meeting the requirements. Participants recruited by undergraduate assistants returned the completed questionnaires by mail. Three hundred questionnaires were distributed, and 217 were returned. From this larger sample, 90 late adolescents had reported conict resolution styles based on their relationship with a younger sibling and were included in the present study. The 90 late adolescents (29 males and 61 females) included in the present study had a mean age of 22.0 years. Siblings (36 males and 48 females) were on an average 3.5 years younger than the adolescents. The majority of late adolescents were white (92%), with 81% from intact families. The remaining participants included 9% from stepfamilies, 8% from single-parent families, and 2% from some other family structure. Demographic Comparisons of Samples Between the two samples, neither the gender ratio for adolescents was signicantly different, 2 (1) = 0.63, ns, nor the gender ratio for siblings was signicantly different, 2 (1) = 0.48, ns. The racial background of adolescents was also not signicantly different, 2 (1) = 0.00, ns. The middle adolescent sample included more subjects from intact families (95%) than the sample of late adolescents did (81%); 2 (1) = 9.57, p < .01. Also, the middle adolescents were closer in age to their younger siblings ( M = 2.8 years) than the late adolescents were ( M = 3.5 years), F = 15.5, p > .01. The differences in family structure and sibling spacing are probably due to the more strict criteria for participation in the original study with middle adolescents. Instrument Conict-Resolution Behavior Questionnaire (Rubenstein and Feldman, 1993) This 22-item questionnaire assesses 3 conict-resolution behaviors. Only the attack and compromise scales were used for this study. Sample items for the attack

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scale include Really get mad and start yelling and Say or do something to hurt the others feelings. Sample items for the compromise scale include Listen to what the other says and try to understand and Try to work out a compromise. Using a 5-point scale ranging from 1 (=never) to 5 (=almost always), participants rate how often a person engages in each behavior. The subscale scores are computed by calculating the sum rating for each subscale. Rubenstein and Feldman (1993) reported alpha coefcients as .78 for the attack and .77 for the compromise scales. Because only simple revisions were made to this questionnaire to reect behaviors of both adults and adolescents (i.e., changing playing video game to read a book and talk with brother or sister to talk to friend or spouse), the reliability, as expected, was similar to alpha coefcients reported previously. For the attack scale, alpha coefcients for middle adolescents perspectives ranged from .77 to .87 and for late adolescents perspectives ranged from .82 to .89. For the compromise scale, alpha coefcients for middle adolescents perspectives ranged from .75 to .84, and for late adolescents perspectives ranged from .78 to .88. In the present study, adolescents perceptions of their moms, dads, siblings, and their own conict-resolution behaviors within reciprocal dyadic relationships were assessed. Five dyadic scores were created by summing reciprocal scores: (1) Interparental = mom to dad and dad to mom; (2) Momadolescent = mom to adolescent and adolescent to mom; (3) Dadadolescent = dad to adolescent and adolescent to dad; and (4) Sibling = sibling to adolescent and adolescent to sibling. In addition, each dyadic score was computed for the attack and compromise resolution styles yielding 8 variables. RESULTS The descriptive statistics for both samples and mean comparisons are presented in Table I. Mean differences did exist for the use of attack and compromise resolution styles in family dyads. Regarding the dyadic relationships in which
Table I. Descriptive Statistics and Differences Between Samples for Attack and Compromise Resolution Styles in Each Dyadic Relationship Middle adolescents Mean Interparental attack Momadolescent attack Dadadolescent attack Sibling attack Interparental compromise Momadolescent compromise Dadadolescent compromise Sibling compromise
p

Late adolescents Mean 19.6 16.8 17.2 25.2 23.2 26.2 24.2 23.1 SD 10.9 11.1 9.7 11.5 7.2 6.9 7.4 8.6

SD 12.0 11.2 11.6 11.0 6.6 7.0 8.0 7.6

Test of sample differences (t ) 1.34 4.71 4.33 4.78 1.99 2.27 2.13 3.35

21.9 24.6 24.4 33.7 25.3 23.8 21.9 19.4

< .05; p < .01; p < .001.

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Reese-Weber Table II. Correlation Coefcients for Attack and Compromise Resolution Styles Interparental Momadolescent .64 1.0 .33 .55 .57 1.0 .34 .45 Attack Dadadolescent .64 .53 1.0 .57 .48 .49 1.0 .38 Sibling .28 .36 .32 1.0 .34 .49 .43 1.0

Interparental Momadolescent Dadadolescent Sibling Interparental Momadolescent Dadadolescent Sibling

1.0 .54 .64 .46 1.0 .38 .60 .33

Compromise

Note. Correlation coefcients for the middle adolescent sample are presented above the diagonal and correlation coefcients for the late adolescent sample are presented below the diagonal. p < .01.

adolescents participate (i.e., momadolescent, dadadolescent, and sibling dyads), attack resolution was more common in the middle adolescent sample, and compromising was more common in the late adolescent sample. Middle adolescents reported more compromise resolution during interparental conict than late adolescents did. Regarding attack resolution, no differences were found between the middle adolescents and the late adolescents perspectives of interparental conict. Correlations The correlations between the attack and compromise resolution style within dyadic relationships are presented in Table II. Attack resolution style in one family dyadic relationship was positively correlated with attack resolution in other dyadic relationships. Likewise, compromise in one dyadic relationship was related to compromise resolution in other family dyads. These correlations suggest that if a resolution style is utilized in one dyadic relationship, than the same resolution style is likely to be reported as utilized in other dyadic relationships within the family. Path Analyses The hypothesized path models were estimated using the computer program LISREL VIII. The resolution styles for each dyadic relationship were used as observed variables in structural equation modeling procedures. LISREL VIII provides maximum likelihood estimates for the models, chi-square statistics, root mean square residuals, and a Goodness-of-Fit Index (GFI). Because the chi-square test statistic and p -value is biased by sample size and model size (see Bollen, 1989), the chi-square to degrees of freedom ratio can also be used as an indicator of t. A ratio between 1 and 5 has been suggested as an acceptable range for adequate

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t (Marsh and Hocevar, 1988). If there is no signicant loss of t, the mediational model is accepted. LISREL VIII provides R 2 for each equation and t -values to determine the signicance of paths. Finally, using structural equation modeling allows the disturbance terms to correlate. In the present study, the disturbance terms for momadolescent and dadadolescent conict resolution were freed to correlate to account for the possibility that more than just interparental conict resolution may predict both mom adolescent and dadadolescent resolution. The disturbance terms may also include error variance that is not random but due to 1 individual completing the same measure multiple times, which would also result in the correlation of disturbance terms. The attack and compromise models accounted for the correlation matrices of both the middle adolescent and the late adolescent samples. In these models, the parameters are constrained to be equal across samples. First, the path coefcients are estimated for the middle adolescent sample. Next, the path coefcients for the late adolescent sample are set to be equal to the estimated path coefcients for middle adolescents. If the model t is poor, path coefcients are considered to be substantially different between samples. If the model t is good, path coefcients are not considered to be substantially different. Figure 1 presents the maximum likelihood results of the attack model. The chi-square was 20.0 with 11 degrees of freedom ( p = .05); the root mean square

Fig. 1. Maximum likelihood path analysis results of the attack resolution model.

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Fig. 2. Maximum likelihood path analysis results of the compromise resolution model.

residual was .04; the GFI was .98; and the chi-square to degrees of freedom ratio was 1.82. The t indices indicate that the attack model works well to explain the data from both middle and late adolescents. The t -values indicated that all paths were signicant. The R 2 for momadolescent attack was .42 and .31 for dadadolescent attack. The R 2 for sibling attack was .33. Finally, the disturbance terms for momadolescent attack and dadadolescent attack were not signicantly correlated. Figure 2 presents the maximum likelihood results of the compromise model. The chi-square was 8.91 with 11 degrees of freedom ( p = .63); the root mean square residual was .02; the GFI was 1.0; and the chi-square to degrees of freedom ratio was .81. These indicate excellent t for the compromise model in both samples. The t -values indicated that all paths were signicant. The R 2 for mom adolescent compromise was .31 and for dadadolescent compromise was .17, indicating that less variance is accounted for in the compromise model as compared with the attack model. The R 2 for sibling compromise was .28. Finally, the disturbance terms for momadolescent compromise and dadadolescent compromise were correlated. This correlation indicates that both momadolescent compromise and dadadolescent compromise are most likely to be inuenced by similar variables not accounted for in the present model (i.e., parenting styles).

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DISCUSSION The present study examined 2 important questions: (1) Do momadolescent and dadadolescent conict resolution skills mediate the relationship between interparental and sibling conict resolution skills for middle adolescents as found previously with late adolescents (Reese-Weber and Bartle-Haring, 1998)? (2) Is the mediational model found in previous studies on adolescents family relationships consistent across middle and late adolescents? Regarding the 1st question, the ndings indicated that the mediational model examined for both attack and compromise resolution does exist for middle adolescents. In addition, the mediational role of parentadolescent conict resolution was found for both middle and late adolescents. The direct relationships found between family dyads may be due to a common family member being involved in both dyadic relationships. For instance, adolescents who use compromise during conicts with their parents may also use compromise with their siblings. Research supports individuals having a consistent style of resolution across relationships. Sternberg and Dobson (1987) assessed late adolescents conict resolution skills with a variety of individuals such as parents, teachers, roommates, and romantic partners. The results indicated that individuals had a strong consistency across dyadic relationships for a particular conict resolution style. Hence, the direct relationships found in the present study may be partially explained by individual family members style of conict resolution. Because both family members conict resolution styles were included in the dyadic variables, an individual family members style of conict resolution does not completely explain the direct relationships found in the present study. Social learning theory would suggest that individuals may imitate the conict behaviors of other family members with higher status leading to consistencies between individuals (Bandura, 1989). Parents who model an attack style of conict resolution during interparental and parentadolescent disputes may be imitated by adolescents and siblings during parentadolescent and sibling conicts. Similar to social learning theory, systems theory posits that what occurs in one family subsystem is likely to occur in other family subsystems (von Bertalanffy, 1968). In addition, family subsystems are thought to be hierarchically arranged in which parents have more inuence than adolescents and their siblings. Hence, parent adolescent conict resolution is more likely to inuence the sibling relationship, because the parents are directly involved in parentadolescent disputes but not in sibling conicts. In sum, both theoretical perspectives help explain why behaviors displayed in dyads involving parents would inuence behaviors in the sibling relationship. The other major focus of the present study was comparing middle and late adolescents. The mediational model found suggests that sibling conict resolution skills are inuenced in similar ways at different developmental stages. The consistency across developmental stages supports research indicating that parents are

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not only inuential during middle adolescence but also continue to be important during late adolescence (Buhrmester, 1996). However, sample differences in the current study limit the generalization of the ndings. Future research is needed to assess the development of sibling conict resolution skills with longitudinal designs. One difference found between middle and late adolescents in the present study was the particular conict resolution style utilized. The results indicated that middle adolescents reported higher levels of attack resolution, whereas late adolescents reported higher levels of compromise, for those dyads in which the adolescent is an active participant (parentadolescent and sibling conict). The social relational model may be helpful in explaining the difference in resolution styles for middle and late adolescents (Laursen and Collins, 1994). The social relational model suggests that open settings in which participants are free to leave may involve more constructive conict behaviors. In contrast, participants in closed settings who are stuck with one another are less likely to become anxious about the interaction ending and may allow themselves to become more negative during conicts (Laursen and Collins, 1994). Because late adolescents do not typically live at home with parents, family members may attempt to use compromise to keep the peace to ensure that the family members will remain together and not return to their own living residence. In contrast, middle adolescents typically reside with their parents and younger siblings, and family members are less likely to leave the home for extended periods of time (or even permanently). Hence, middle adolescents and their parents and siblings may believe that the closed setting in which they live allows them to be less positive and use more destructive conict resolution skills (i.e., attack) without fear of the family member leaving. In addition to the social relational model, late adolescents and their family members may use more constructive conict resolution skills because they have been in relationships with one another longer. The length of the relationship may have provided more opportunities for family members to practice conict resolution skills and determine which strategies are most effective. More research in this area is needed to explore whether this hypothesis is valid. Longitudinal designs assessing early adolescents and following their conict resolution styles with family members into late adolescents would provide evidence of developmental change, whereas the present study allows only speculation. Another difference found between middle and late adolescents perspectives was the resolution styles used during interparental conicts. Although middle and late adolescents reported similar use of the attack resolution style, middle adolescents perceived their parents as using more compromise behaviors than did late adolescents. Middle adolescents may perceive more compromise because they are less individuated and still idealize parents in some ways. Late adolescents are developmentally more individuated and may not idealize parents relationships to the same degree (Allison and Sabatelli, 1988; Anderson and Sabatelli,

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1990). In addition, romantic relationships become increasingly important during adolescence and may inuence how adolescents perceive their parents marital relationship. For example, Furman and Buhrmester (1992) found that conict with romantic partner increased over adolescence and during late adolescence became more frequent than arguments with family members. Hence, late adolescents may begin to appreciate the difculty in resolving conicts with romantic partners and view their parents marital relationship differently. Because the late adolescent sample was all college students, comparisons with a more general sample of middle adolescents may be problematic. However, middle adolescents were from relatively middle-class homes indicating that this group may not have represented the general population of middle adolescents and may have more closely matched the late adolescent college sample. Even given the middle-class nature of middle adolescents, any comparisons of the middle and late adolescents included in the present study should be made with caution. Future studies examining more generalized samples of both middle and late adolescents are needed to more accurately compare developmental differences. In addition, longitudinal studies would provide more clear information about the developmental differences that may occur in the associations between family dyadic relationships in middle and late adolescence. One strength of the present study was the assessment of multiple family dyadic relationships. Previous research has typically assessed only 2 family dyadic relationships (e.g., Brody et al., 1987, 1992; Patterson, 1982; Montemayor and Hanson, 1985). In the present study, middle and late adolescents provided their perspectives on each family members conict resolution skills within multiple dyads. Although assessing multiple family dyadic relationships provides more information about conict resolution within the family system, assessment of 1 individuals perspective has limitations. First, because the adolescent completed the instrument several times, common methods variance may have inuenced the results. A portion of the variance in computed scores may have been due to the idiosyncratic way that an adolescent responds to the instrument (Sabatelli and Bartle, 1995). In addition, moms, dads, and siblings may not perceive conict resolution in the family the same as adolescents do. Future research assessing multiple family dyads should include each family members perspective to alleviate these limitations. In addition to assessing multiple family members perspectives, research in the area of sibling conict resolution should be expanded to include more diverse families. In the present study, middle and late adolescent families were primarily white, intact families. Sibling conict resolution skills in families from other ethnic backgrounds may be inuenced by extended family dyads (i.e., grandparents). In addition, sibling conict in single-parent families would most likely be more substantially inuenced by either the momadolescent or dadadolescent dyadic relationship.

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The present study contributes signicantly to clinical, theoretical, and empirical issues regarding conict resolution skills. Treatment programs will benet from information on how conict in family dyads inuences one another. Prevention and intervention programs focusing on sibling conict resolution may include information and assistance regarding effective interparental and parentadolescent resolution skills. In addition, the results of the present study provide support for the social learning, systemic, and social relational perspectives. The present study also provides information essential for continued theory development in the areas of interpersonal conict and sibling relationships. Finally, future research replicating and expanding the current study will provide additional information regarding how conict resolution behaviors are acquired. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The author would like to thank Raymond Montemayor, Gary Creasey, and Patricia Jarvis for their editorial comments and Matthew Hesson-McInnis for his statistical consultation. REFERENCES
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TITLE: Middle and late adolescents conflict resolution skills with siblings: associations with interparental and parent-adolescent conflict resolution SOURCE: J Youth Adolescavhlth Jron 29 no62102/12 D 200010652004 The magazine publisher is the copyright holder of this article and it is reproduced with permission. Further reproduction of this article in violation of the copyright is prohibited. To contact the publisher: http://www.springerlink.com/content/1573-6601/