Abstract:

Adolescence is presented as a period of change and reorganization in family relationship (Steinberg, 1996). The parent-adolescent relation changes from relation of authority into a more equal relation and this process is connected with temporal deterioration in the family relationships. Some authors (Paikoff, Brooks-Gunn 1991, Dekovic 1999, Meeus 2007) indicate biological (e.g. hormonal) and psychological (e.g. identity crisis of adolescents) conditions from the adolescents side for the conflicts with their parents. But the quality of parents-children relations depends also on parents’ behavior and emotions during the process of upbringing (Diaz, 2009). In presented study the parental attitudes (acceptance, demanding, autonomy, inconsistency, protecting) as described by adolescents are considered as the predictors of the quality of the parents-adolescents relationship.

Subjects in the study were 213 adolescents in the mean age of 13 years, from different schools in Krakow.

Two questionnaires have been used in the study:
1. The Questionnaire of Parents-Child Relationship by E. Gurba. It contains 38 items describing different situations connected with home, school, adolescents’ activity, family, relations and values. Adolescents estimate the frequency and intensity of disagreement in conflict situations.
2. The Parental Attitude Scale by M. Plopa. It consists of two versions used for assessment of the mother’s and father’s attitudes. Each version consists of 75 statements, to which the respondent replies through choosing an answer on a five degree scale.

Presented study (analysis of regression) indicates the importance of parental attitudes for the frequency and intensity of disagreement in parents and adolescents conflict situations. Parental attitudes prove to be the predictors of parents-adolescents relationship.

Keywords:

Parental attitude, adolescent, family, relationship.