A SEQUENTIAL-ANALYSIS OF THE MOTHER-ADOLESCENT INTERACTIONS OF ADHD, ADHD ODD, AND NORMAL TEENAGERS DURING NEUTRAL AND CONFLICT DISCUSSIONS/

The sequential interactions of three groups of teenagers conversing wi th their mothers during both neutral and conflict discussion situation s were evaluated. Groups consisted of (I) attention deficit hyperactiv ity disorder (ADHD) alone (n = 21), (2) ADHD with comorbid oppositiona l defiant disorder (ADHD/ODD; n = 40), and (3) a community control gro up of adolescents (n = 49). All groups had been followed concurrently for the past 8 to 10 years before being reevaluated in this study. Res ults indicated that (I) teens and parents in all groups interacted in a tightly linked manner, with the behavior of each member being signif icantly related only to the immediate antecedent behavior of the other ; (2) mothers in all groups were more likely than teens to initiate po sitive behaviors; (3) teen interactions could be characterized as tit- for-tat while mothers could be typified as be-nice-and-forgive, (4) mo ther-teen dyads in the ADHD/ODD group displayed significantly higher r ates of conflict behaviors than dyads in the other two groups, who did not differ significantly from each other on most measures; and (5) mo thers in the ADHD/ODD group responded in a manner similar to their tee ns (greater negativity) and less like that of mothers in the other gro ups. The majority of conflict between ADHD children and their parents seemed due to comorbid ODD and such ODD is a family, not just a teen, characteristic.