Issue 4
Vol. 43
2001

M. Hofer, H. M. Buhl
The influence of the social relationship between adolescent daughters and their mothers on daughters‘ utterances in a conflictual situation. An experimental investigation

In this experiment the question was studied if variables which characterize the relationship between mothers and their adolescent daughters have an effect on daughters‘ utterances in a conflictual situation. Results from a former study using quasi natural conversations should be validated. An everyday conflictual situation was presented to a sample of 131 adolescents aged 14 to 18 years. They had to react in written form to a mother’s utterance which happened within a fictitious dialogue. The adolescents also had to indicate which strategy they aimed at with the utterance produced. In a three-factorial design, the independent variables separation, connectedness and goal strength were manipulated. The results showed an effect of the variables connectedness and goal strength on selected categories of daughters‘ argumentation behavior. Correlations between the strategy intended and categories of the utterance throw light on the planning of verbal behavior.

Key words: argumentation, detachment in adolescence, family conflict

Prof. Dr. Manfred Hofer
Lehrstuhl Erziehungswissenschaft II
Universität Mannheim
Schloss
D-68131 Mannheim

Dr. Heike M. Buhl
Institut für Psychologie
Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena
Am Steiger 3/1
D-07743 Jena