Parent-adolescent conflict and adolescent functioning in a collectivist, ethnically heterogenous culture: Malaysia

Little attention has been directed toward exploring the relationship between parent-adolescent conflict and adolescent functioning in heterogeneous, collectivist cultures. This study explored parent-adolescent conflict in terms of conflict incidence and conflict intensity (with both parents) as a function of ethnicity and gender, and the relationship of conflict to adolescent functioning in terms of externalized (delinquency and academic achievement) and internalized (self-esteem and depression) behaviors. The sample consisted of Malays, Indian-, and Chinese-Malaysian adolescents. Subtypes of conflicts were examined in each group. Using common factor analyses, seven subtypes of conflicts with fathers were extracted. The seven domains were (a) cooperative behavior, (b) managing time, (c) family relations, (d) academic, (e) finances, (f) appearance, and (g) daily hassles. Academic issues, time management, and daily hassles seemed to be salient issues of conflict in the Malay and Chinese groups, whereas daily hassles, time management, and cooperative behavior were most frequently the issues of conflict in Indian groups. No significant gender differences were noted in conflict subtypes. Conflict incidence and intensity with fathers were higher compared to mothers. No significant relationships were noted between any of the independent and the dependent variables for the Chinese groups. Conflict incidence and intensity were found to be correlated with self-esteem, delinquency and academic achievement in some of the other ethnic groups. For instance, high levels of conflict incidence (with fathers), even when low in intensity, were found to be negatively correlated to self-esteem among Malay males, but when conflict incidence is moderately high it was positively correlated to self esteem; this was also as seen in the Indian male group. A similar pattern was found in regard to conflict with mothers. However, significant relationships emerged for Malay females and Indian males only. For delinquency, in all groups, conflict intensity was negatively correlated to delinquency whereas conflict incidence was positively correlated. When both conflict incidence and intensity were high, delinquency also was high. In terms of depression, no significant relationships were noted for group. Only the Malay female adolescent group showed a significant and positive relationship between conflict incidence with fathers and academic achievement. Conflict incidence alone, especially when intensity is low, seems to facilitate positive adolescent functioning, in terms of higher self-esteem and lower delinquency reports.