title: Why do children resist or obey their foster parents? The inner logic of children's behavior during discipline.
abstract: This article discusses a study of children's perspectives on disciplinary conflicts with their foster parents. Most children accept parental authority, but they also defend their personal autonomy and loyalties to peers. In this study, only birthchildren told real-life stories about fierce resistance to get their own way. Fierce resistance among foster children was motivated by inner conflicts and confusion. Obedience among foster children often derived from fear of punishment or a feeling of impotence. The authors discuss the theoretical and pedagogical implications of these findings.
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental Psychology, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Elly
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Singer
authors.forename: Jeannette
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Doornenbal
authors.forename: Krista
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okma
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D005260:Female; D005581:Foster Home Care; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D016487:Parenting; D002666:Psychology, Child