Demand/withdraw communication between parents and adolescents as a correlate of relational satisfaction

Abstract

The present investigation examined the association between satisfaction in parent‐adolescent relationships and demand/withdraw, a pattern of communication in which one person nags or criticizes while the other attempts to avoid the issue. Fifty‐seven parent‐adolescent dyads participated in a study that involved both self‐report and outsider ratings of demand/withdraw. Frequent demand/withdraw was associated negatively with relational satisfaction for both parents and adolescents. In several instances, this negative association remained even after controlling for the overall amount of conflict in the relationship. These results demonstrate the utility of examining demand/withdraw in parent‐adolescent dyads.