Is and Ought: Mother-Child Disagreements about Facts and Values when Discussing Peer Conflicts

This study investigated interpersonal disagreements in conversations between mothers and their children with a focus on distinctions between disagreements about facts and values. We aimed to examine: (1) how the frequency and quality of disagreements between mothers and children varied across age and domain of disagreement; and (2) how parenting style was associated with these patterns. The study was based on a sample of 102 mother-child dyads, subdivided in three groups based on the child’s age (i.e., 6 to 7, 10 to 11, or 15 to 16 years). Each dyad discussed two conflictual events that the child had experienced with their peers; disagreements within these conversations were coded. Mothers also completed a measure of parenting style. Results demonstrated that older children had more disagreements with their mothers. In general, dyads had more disagreements about facts rather than values. When disagreements were based on basic-event related facts, the child was more likely to prevail, whereas mothers were more likely to prevail when disagreements were based on values. Parenting styles were not significantly linked to the quantity or quality of mother-child disagreements. These findings shed light on how mother-child interpersonal disagreements in different domains arise and are resolved across childhood and adolescence. Findings are considered in light of epistemological frameworks, and implications for parents are discussed