Justifications and their effects in early adult - child interaction : Developmental trends and individual differences

Earlier research shows that mothers and children often provide a justification when opposing their partner's intentions, statements or actions. The analysis of 32 hours of videorecording of natural interaction from 4 dyads at 2 time periods (20-22 and 24-27 months) and 18 hours from 18 children interacting with their familiar partners, 6 at 2, 4 and 6 years of age, shows that middle-class mothers justify at a high rate their oppositions independently of the child's age and competence, while children's increase significantly their justifications from T1 to T2 and further at 3-4 yrs. It also shows that justifications of first oppositions generally help preventing open conflicts, a finding that holds for both partners and for 3 our of the four dyads with young children.