Biased and Inflexible Interpretations of Social Situations Predict Depressive Symptoms and Relational Outcomes in Parent-Adolescent Dyads

Adolescence is a critical period for social-emotional development, characterized by increased risk for psychopathology and disruptive changes in the parent-adolescent relationship. Biased and inflexible interpretations of social situations have been linked to psychopathology and adaptive social functioning, but these associations are rarely studied in adolescence. Addressing this gap, this study examined the connection between parents’ and adolescents’ bias and inflexibility, and how parents' and adolescents' biases and inflexibility relate to their perceptions of each other in real-life interactions. The present study examined whether parents' and adolescents' interpretation bias and inflexibility are associated, and whether they are related to depressive symptoms and relational perceptions. A sample of 112 parents and adolescents completed at baseline the Emotional Bias Against Disconfirmatory Evidence task and measures of perceived partner responsiveness and insensitivity, followed by a 28-day diary. Parents' and adolescents' negative biases were positively correlated, but not their positive bias or inflexibility. As predicted, negative bias and inflexible negative and positive interpretations predicted depressive symptoms in the daily-diary. Regarding relational perceptions, an interesting picture emerged: positive bias was related to perceived responsiveness, negative bias was related to perceived insensitivity, and inflexibility in revising interpretations was associated with both, particularly for revising positive (vs. negative) interpretations. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that interpretation biases and inflexibility may play an important role in the maintenance of close relationships in addition to their known role in psychopathology. These findings have important implications for relationship and clinical research, and for treatment approaches involving adolescents and parents.