Parent-child interaction in the laboratory: Effects of role, task, and child behavior pathology on verbal response mode use

Fourth-, fifth-, or sixth-grade children identified as aggressive, withdrawn, or nondeviant by a consensus of teacher and peer ratings interacted with one of their parents in a modified revealed difference task. Transcripts of the interactions were coded according to a taxonomy of verbal response modes (VRMs). Comparison of VRM profiles showed small and equivocal differences between trait groups. However, differences between roles (parent and child) and differences between two phases of the task (“reach agreement” on a problematic situation and “tell you how you feel” in that situation) were large and highly significant. Results support the hypothesis that intersubjective coding categories, such as VRMs, are sensitive to role, task, and relationship variables but relatively insensitive to enduring individual differences in personality or behavior pathology.