ADOLESCENT GIRLS CONVERSATIONS WITH MOTHERS AND FRIENDS - A MATTER OF STYLE

The purpose of this study was to compare communication patterns of adolescent girls and their mothers versus friends to find evidence of stylistic differences. Fifty-six girls in two age groups-preadolescent and midadolescent-participated in discussions about four hypothetical issues with either their mothers or close friends. Conversations were coded for various features of temporal communication style: interruptions, overlaps between turns, and simultaneous speech. Girls of both ages and their friends exhibited a fast-paced conversation style which included frequent interruptions and simultaneous speech and the tendency to use overlaps between turns, and this tendency increased from pre- to midadolescence. In contrast, mothers exhibited a style characterized by slower pacing and pausing and infrequent interruptions and simultaneous speech. As a result of these stylistic differences, daughters ended up interrupting their mothers more than mothers interrupted daughters. These results are discussed in terms of the possible meanings of interruptions in conversation.