Parent-Child Affect, Communication, and Engagement during Everyday Conflict Resolution Interactions

Parent–child conflict is a normative and potentially constructive aspect of family life, yet little research has examined the quality of everyday conflict resolution interactions in childhood. This study introduces and evaluates the Parent-Child Affect, Communication, and Engagement (PACE) coding scheme, designed to assess parents’ and children’s behaviors during conflict resolution discussions. Using a sample of 175 parent-child dyads, we coded videotaped interactions from two timepoints: parent-initiated discussions in second grade and child-initiated discussions in third grade. We conducted factor analyses to examine the structure of the coding scheme and tested inter-rater reliability and construct validity. Factor analyses revealed a four-factor structure: parents’ positive and responsive guidance, parents’ negative affect, children’s negative affect, and off-task conversation. These factors demonstrated acceptable reliability and conceptual coherence. Parents’ behaviors were consistent across both discussion types, while child negative affect varied depending on who initiated the conversation. Construct validity of the observed behaviors during the parent-initiated conversations was supported through correlations between observed behaviors and parents’ self-reported discipline and emotion socialization practices. The PACE coding scheme offers a reliable and efficient method for assessing the quality of parent-child conflict resolution interactions and has applications in developmental and family research.