This project (2011-2021) investigated social power in the family, building understanding of how social power exists in complex ways and varies over time and among family members. Findings show (a) mothers and children vary in their perceptions of each other’s use of power as well as their level of power by social domain (Della Porta & Howe, 2012), (b) conflict topic, children’s use of power, and power strategies executed in relation to social domain argumentation are unique qualities of conflict in the polyadic family context and effective use of certain power strategies differ by sibling birth order (Della Porta & Howe, 2017), (c) effective use of power varies for parents and children based on microscopic and macroscopic methods of assessment (Della Porta et al., 2019), (d) differences exist in children’s use of power over time and by sibling birth order (Della Porta et al., 2021); (e) differences exist between sibling- and parent-initiated conflict over time, including topics and resolutions (Persram at al., 2019); and (f) power strategy use varies across issues of moral conflict (Scirocco et al., 2022). This work was funded by Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada; Concordia University Research Chair in Early Childhood Development and Education and by the Brock University Match of Minds Award with Natasha Schleifer.

Project Lead: Dr. Sandra Della Porta

Scirocco, A., Persram, R. J., Della Porta, S., & Howe, N. (2022). Fairness, rights, and harm in early childhood: A 2-year investigation of moral family conflict. Journal of Child and Family Studies. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-021-02201-0 

Della Porta, S, Persram, RJ, Howe, N, Ross, HS, (2021) Young children’s differential use of power during family conflict: A longitudinal study. Social Development, 1–15.

Della Porta S, Howe N, Persram RJ, (2019) Parents’ and children’s power effectiveness during polyadic family conflict: Process and outcome. Social Development, 28, 152–167.

Persram, R., Della Porta, S., Scirocco, A., Howe, N., & Ross, H. (2019). A 2-year longitudinal study of naturalistic parent-child- and sibling-originated polyadic conflicts. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 65, 377-401. https://doi.org/10.13110/merrpalmquar1982.65.4.0377 

Della Porta, S., & Howe, N. (2017). Siblings’ power and influence in polyadic conflict during early childhood. New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development, 156, 15-31. https://doi.org/10.1002/cad.20200 

Della Porta, S., & Howe, N. (2012). Assessing mothers’ and children’s perceptions of power through personal, conventional, and prudential conflict situations. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 58, 507-529. https://doi.org/10.1353/mpq.2012.0024