Conflict areas between parents and their adolescents

Data concerning the conflict areas between parents and their adolescent children were collected for 756 adolescents (10 to 14 years old). Conflict areas were measured using the 20-item Family Roles Inventory developed by Thornburg (1982). A chi-square was performed across age and sex for all subjects and items. Across all subjects the two most conflicting areas with both mother and father were home responsibilities and spending money. The third most conflicting area with mother was selecting clothes. The third most conflicting area with father was using the phone. Across all subjects the area of least conflict with mother and father was watching television. As the literature suggests, conflict areas with mother are of a more personal nature, whereas conflict areas with father are more reality oriented. Despite these differences, conflict with mother is more prevalent than with father, especially with females.