Final answer:
Adolescents and parents often define issues of conflict differently; parents focus on responsibility while adolescents focus on freedom. This difference is rooted in the developmental process of adolescence, where the main task is to develop a sense of self and independence.
Step-by-step explanation:
When adolescents and parents encounter conflict, they often perceive the issues differently due to differing perspectives on autonomy and personal development during adolescence. Parents typically view the issue as one that involves responsibility, and they often interpret teen behavior as reflecting on family values and expectations. On the other hand, adolescents tend to see the same issue as one of freedom, where they are struggling to establish their identity and express themselves independently from their parents.
According to Erikson's theory of psychosocial development, the main task of an adolescent is developing a sense of self. This involves wrestling with identity versus role confusion and often leads to asserting independence from parents while the influence of peer groups grows. Thus, conflicts between parents and adolescents can be seen as rooted in the developmental process of adolescents striving for autonomy and self-expression, while parents are focused on guiding their children with a sense of responsibility and long-term well-being.