Observing troubled children's interpersonal negotiation strategies: implications of and for a developmental model

29-year-old boys, both selected from a pool of children with socioemotional and interpersonal difficulties, were observed unobtrusively in 35 weekly hour-long pair therapy sessions over the course of 2 school years. A transcript/narrative analysis technique was used to identify all interpersonal negotiation strategies each child used within each session. Strategies were classified using a coding system that simultaneously ordered them according to 4 developmental levels (0, impulsive-physical; 1, unilateral-coercive; 2, reciprocal-influential; and 3, collaborative-mutual) and 2 interpersonal orientations (self- and other-transforming). Using individual strategies as the basic unit of analysis, strategies in each weekly session were charted according to level and orientation and were summed to show total distributions and trends over time. Results indicated that the predominant level of strategy used by both children was unilateral (level 1) followed for each child by reciprocal (level 2), impulsive (level 0), and then collaborative (level 3) strategies. Across time a trend toward increased use of reciprocal strategies was suggested, although there was wide oscillation in the percentage and absolute use of strategies coded at each level from 1 weekly session to the next. Different patterns of strategy use were identified for each child. With respect to the pattern of use of orientations (self- and other-transforming) over time, each subject began the interaction with strategies rigidly adherig to 1 particular orientation. However, while 1 subject was consistently rigid in orientation over the 35 weeks, the other demonstrated a movement with time to a more balanced usage of strategies across orientations. Results of this study were discussed with respect to their implications for using developmental methods and models for clinical purposes.