◎ Contents Part 1. Conflict and the processes of development 1. Theoretical perspectives on conflict and development 2. The education of reason : Congnitive conflict and its role in intellectual development 3. Conflict and the development of social understanding 4. Conflict talk : Approaches to adversative discourse 5. Conflict and emotions in marital, sibling, and peer relationships Part 2. Conflict and interpersonal relationships 6. The social structureof early conflict : Interaction, relationships, and alliances 7. Conflict and friendship relations 8. Conflict and relationships during adolescence 9. Conflicts between siblings 10. Family Conflicts and their developmental implications: A conceptual analysis of meanings for the structure of relationships ◎ Abstract This book focuses on the role of conflict in psychological and social development: the hows, whens, wheres, and whys of conflict in everyday life. Conflict is not always a negative, destructive event; research shows that it has many positive effects in the development of individuals and their interpersonal relationships. A major theme of "Conflict in Child and Adolescent Development" is how the management of conflict can enhance the psychological growth of individuals and strengthen relationships among people. The authors present findings based on empirical research from psychology, anthropology, sociology, sociolinguistics, and family relations to provide a picture of what is known about conflict, and to preview future research.