A Meta-Analysis of Parent-Adolescent Conflict: Disagreement, Hostility, and Youth Maladjustment

Parent-adolescent conflict is a normative characteristic of adolescence. However, research findings have been inconsistent, and the relative contributions of specific dimensions of parent-adolescent conflict (disagreement and hostility) to youth maladjustment are unknown. This meta-analysis synthesized the literature on parent-adolescent conflict and distinguished disagreement, hostility, and composite measures of disagreement and hostility. A multilevel model was utilized to analyze 401 effects from 52 studies. Results indicate that parent-adolescent conflict is positively associated with youth maladjustment. The strength of this association varied as a function of youth maladjustment dimensions but not conflict dimensions. The association between parent-adolescent conflict and youth maladjustment also varied by youth gender and by longitudinal versus cross-sectional design. Results suggest that both disagreement and hostility in parent-adolescent relationships have negative effects on youth development.