Mothers with "leading voices" fail to convince teens

According to the researchers, mothers who talk to their children with a "controlled tone of voice" are more likely to trigger an argument than to get a positive response.

The Cardiff University study examined the responses of 14- and 15-year-old students to instructions given in different ways.

It turns out that mothers who want to persuade teenage girls to cooperate get better results when they sound "supportive" rather than when they press for it.

The researchers said that with respect to youth behavior, there was little evidence of the impact of "tone of voice" rather than words or actions of parents.

"Stressed" parents

The study used classic family arguments, such as trying to get a teenager to do homework or get ready for school in the morning.

During the experiment, more than 1,000 young people aged 14 and 15 were subjected to the same instructions given in different styles.

The research, published in the journal Developmental Psychology, used mothers' records but did not attempt to determine whether there would be similar reactions among fathers.

It was found that mothers using a "control" voice that tried to put pressure on a teenager had a counterproductive effect: they raised young people's problems and caused them a negative reaction.

A "neutral" voice generated a largely neutral reaction, neither motivating nor making teenagers more defensive.

But a warmer, more "supportive" voice that tried to coax and encourage rather than confront each other was the most effective way to get teenagers to respond to the demand.

"If parents want conversations with their teenagers to be most beneficial, it's important to remember to use encouraging voice tones," said report author, Netta Weinstein.

"It's easy for parents to forget, especially if they feel stressed, tired or under pressure."