Observed Conflict Behavior and Mothers' and Adolescents' Perceptions of 17-Year-Olds' Sibling and Friend Relationships

We examined adolescent sibling and friend conflicts during semi-structured, closed-field situations. Adolescents and mothers completed questionnaires rating relationships on asymmetry, conflict, relational aggression, prosocial behavior/harmony, and intimacy. We found that mothers' perceptions of adolescent siblings' behavior had weak to moderate accuracy, with opposite correlations for sons and daughters.