Relationship of Conflict, Conflict Avoidance, and Conflict Resolution to Psychological Adjustment

Background: Conflict has deleterious effects on the adjustment of children, adolescence, and emerging adults. The literature is less robust on the adverse effects of conflict avoidance on adjustment as well as the beneficial effect of resolution in these age groups. The literature is markedly sparser on these relationships in adults. Method: We recruited N = 1471 US adults between 18 and 86 years old (M = 33.94, SD = 11.67). They primarily identified as White with 51% holding at least a bachelor's degree. Participants responded to the Perceived Family Conflict Subscale, Avoidant Conflict Scale, the Family Conflict Resolution Scale, and the Langner Symptom Survey. Results: A MANOVA modeling the four variables demonstrated a significant difference based on sex for the measure of distress and need for treatment (Mwomen = 5.31, Mmen = 3.93, p < .001). Separate analyses for men and women yielded the same pattern for each sex. Specifically, low conflict groups, as well as low conflict avoidance groups, scored significantly lower on a measure of distress than the high conflict and conflict avoidance group. For conflict resolution, the high groups scored significantly lower on distress than did the low resolution group. Discussion: The deleterious effect of conflict and conflict avoidance were found in both adult men and women, thereby extending results found in children, teens, and young adults. Similarly, the beneficial effect of conflict resolution manifest in adult men and women, which had been found in young adults. Interventions aimed at reducing conflict avoidance and increasing conflict resolution skills should theoretically reduce stress.