Perceptions of interparental conflict encompass the degree to which family members view conflicts as frequently occurring, intense, and poorly resolved. Adolescents’ perceptions provide a gauge for actual exposure and awareness of interparental conflict that might not be captured by parent reports of relationship functioning. Consistent with this view, adolescents’ perception of conflicts as intense or hostile is more closely related to their internalizing problems than more objective assessments of actual conflict within the household (Harold & Conger, 1997; Harold, Fincham, Osborne, & Conger, 1997). In addition, Fosco and Grych (2008) found only a moderate correlation between parent and child report of interparental conflict. Children’s perceptions are thought to be the driving force behind their adjustment, and the degree to which adolescents perceive their parents’ relationship as characterized by high levels of conflict (e.g., frequency, intensity) shapes their evaluations of the conflict (Grych & Fincham, 1990).
