Question

Darcy is having frequent disagreements with her teenage daughter. Darcy should be told that by late adolescence, ________?

1) only a small minority of families experience continuing friction
2) most parent–daughter conflicts continue and intensify
3) adolescents typically display increasingly angry behaviors
4) parent-child problem-solving efforts are largely ineffective

Answer 1

By late adolescence, only a small minority of families experience ongoing friction, and most conflicts between parents and adolescents do not continue to intensify. Parent-child problem-solving can be effective, and conflicts often serve as a means for teens to express their developing identities. The correct option is 1.

Step-by-step explanation:

Darcy is having frequent disagreements with her teenage daughter. By late adolescence, it is generally understood that only a small minority of families experience continuing friction. Research, such as that by Galambos and Almeida (1992), suggests that while conflicts may rise in early adolescence, they do not necessarily continue to intensify.

In fact, most teen-parent conflicts are a part of the adolescent's journey towards self-expression and identity formation rather than a sign of ongoing serious issues.

Parent-child problem-solving efforts are not largely ineffective. Instead, it is important for parents like Darcy to understand that these arguments can actually be constructive as adolescents are more likely to view arguments as means of self-expression.

Warm, understanding, and healthy parent-child relationships can lead to positive outcomes, which is supported by the work of Moore, Guzman, Hair, Lippman, and Garrett (2004). The correct option is 1.