Steinberg et al. (1994; Lamborn, Mounts, Steinberg, & Dornbusch, 1991) found significant correlations between adolescents»
descriptions of their parents» child - rearing methods and replies by the same adolescents to questions about their own behaviors and attitudes.3 Evidence that such within - informant correlations can be misleading was
provided by Pike, Reiss, Hetherington, and Plomin (1996), who asked both parents and adolescents to report on the parent's
negative behavior toward the adolescent and on the adolescent's antisocial behavior.
In the present study, a new interview (modeled after an existing measure for real relationships) was designed to elicit
descriptions of both positive and
negative interactions with imaginary companions and to
provide a measure of relationship valence and autonomy.