Context-specific use of conflict management strategies in adolescent dating relationships: a daily study on attachment, hostile attributions, and stress
Purpose: Conflicts in adolescent dating relationships occur weekly and are challenging for this population. Adolescents use constructive strategies (CS) for conflict resolution, but also resort to destructive strategies (DS, i.e., withdrawal, conflict engagement, and violence), which contribute to c...
| Authors: | ; ; ; ; ; |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2025
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| In: |
Journal of family violence
Year: 2025, Volume: 40, Issue: 1, Pages: 65-80 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Keywords: |
| Summary: | Purpose: Conflicts in adolescent dating relationships occur weekly and are challenging for this population. Adolescents use constructive strategies (CS) for conflict resolution, but also resort to destructive strategies (DS, i.e., withdrawal, conflict engagement, and violence), which contribute to conflict escalation. Fortunately, DS are not used in every conflict, but it is unclear why adolescents use them in certain contexts but not others. While several risk factors have been associated with the use of DS, little is known about how these factors interplay in everyday contexts. This study documented the context in which CS and DS are used in examining daily variations in attachment (anxiety, avoidance) and hostile attributions, and in testing daily stress as a moderator. Method: A sample of 196 adolescents completed 14 daily diaries assessing attachment anxiety and avoidance, stress, hostile attributions, CS and DS. Results: Multilevel models revealed that on days when adolescents reported higher hostile attributions than usual, the probability they resort to the three DS was higher. On days when hostile attributions or avoidance were higher, CS were less used, whereas on days when anxiety was higher, they were more used. Interaction effects between daily stress and attachment were found. On days when an elevation of stress was experienced in interaction with an elevation of attachment, associations were reversed (e.g., anxiety*stress decreased the odds of conflict engagement). Conclusions: Results support the relevance of examining situational variations in risk factors and suggest that daily stress might be a mobilizing factor for conflict resolution. Programs aimed at promoting day-to-day healthy relationships should target decreasing hostile attributions and both anxious and avoidant attachment-related thoughts. |
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| Item Description: | Literaturverzeichnis: Seite 77-80 |
| Physical Description: | Illustration |
| ISSN: | 1573-2851 |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s10896-023-00572-0 |
