Everyday interpersonal conflicts of middle-aged women: An examination of strategies and their contextual correlates

Everyday problem solving within the interpersonal domain has been identified as propelling cognitive development in adulthood, and may be particularly relevant to women's development. Yet few studies of everyday problem solving in adulthood focus on interpersonal problems, on women, or on the middle adult years. We examined strategies middle-aged women used for real-life interpersonal problems, and contextual variables associated with strategy use. In contrast to research with younger and older women, in which lower-level strategies were favored, strategy use here was fairly evenly split between higher and lower levels. Also in contrast to other research with younger and older women, participants here favored lower-level strategies that were directive, rather than submissive. Thematic analyses showed a high degree of felt emotional distress to be associated with lower-level strategy use, and attempts at controlling emotions and overcoming fundamental attribution errors in judgment to be related to higher-level strategy use.