Perceptions of the Adult Son/Husband's Mediation Styles in Chinese Mother/Daughter-In-Law Conflicts

Abstract

From the perspectives of mothers-in-law (n = 316, M age = 62.80, SD = 8.07) and daughters-in-law (n = 287, M age = 37.17, SD = 8.12), this study examined the son/husband's mediation role in mother/daughter-in-law conflicts in the People's Republic of China. An analysis of variance with a between subject factor (2 participant groups: mother-in-law and daughter-in-law) and a within subject factor (4 mediation styles: the problem solving, accommodating, avoiding and competing styles) was first conducted to examine how perceptions of the son/husband's mediation style compare between and within the mother- and daughter-in-law groups. For both groups, results indicated that the problem-solving style was most used by the son/husband, followed by the accommodating, avoiding, and competing styles. While both groups evaluated the son/husband's use of the problem-solving, competing and avoiding styles similarly, the mother-in-law group rated the son's use of the accommodating style at a significantly higher degree than the daughter-in-law group did about the husband. Second, hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to examine the predictability of four criterion variables (i.e., relational satisfaction with the in-law and with the son/husband, and judgments about the son/husband's mediation appropriateness and effectiveness) on perceptions of the son/husband's mediation style. Supporting Hypotheses 1 and 2, for both groups, results indicated that the son/husband's use of the problem-solving style was a significant and positive predictor of all criterion variables whereas his use of competing style was a significant and negative predictor; the son/husband's use of the accommodating style positively predicted judgments of his mediation appropriateness. In addition, the son/husband's use of the avoiding style negatively predicted judgments about his mediation appropriateness and effectiveness for the mother-in-law group and negatively predicated judgments about his mediation effectiveness for the daughter-in-law group. Third, SOBEL tests were conducted to examine the indirect effects of filial piety and shared family identity with the in-law on the four criterion variables. In general, results showed that filial piety and shared family identity had indirect effects on relational satisfaction in the family context. These findings were discussed with reference to the prior literature on culture and interpersonal conflict management, the Common Ingroup Identity Model, family relationships, as well as culture change in China.