The contribution of affective reactions and relationship qualities to adolescents' reported responses to parents

We examined influences on reciprocity in early adolescents' responses to parental behavior presented in vignettes. The parent behaviors were either warm/affectionate or mildly controlling, and the influence of the following were investigated: (a) adolescents' affective reactions to the parental behavior, (b) their perceptions of the degree of parental acceptance, and (c) relationship type (birth-parent vs stepparent). Relationship type made little independent contribution to the adolescents' reported responses. Both affective reactions and perceptions of acceptance contributed to reported responses, depending on the parental behavior and the type of response. The results suggest that reciprocity in adolescents' responses to parents can occur through the return of perceived parental behavior or through the return of perceived relationship qualities.