Individuation theory is rooted in the belief that it is a major developmental task for adolescents to establish their identity while simultaneously maintaining a relationship with their parents. Building on the individuation paradigm, the researchers contributing to this edited volume zeroed in on discourse as a critical mechanism through which family members interact with one another. This book focuses on the dynamics of parent-adolescent interactions and deals exclusively with families from Germany after German unification and The Netherlands. The articles are as follows: (1) "Introduction: Verbal Interaction and Development in Families with Adolescents" (Manfred Hofer, James Youniss, and Peter Noack); (2) "Can Mothers Win? The Transformation of Mother-Daughter Relationships in Late Childhood" (Lothar Krappmann, Hans Oswald, Beate Schuster, and James Youniss); (3) "Experiments Using the Role-Playing Method in the Study of Interactive Behavior" (Manfred Hofer and Heike Buhl); (4) "Relationship and Family Discourse in Different Situations" (Manfred Hofer and Kai Sassenberg); (5) "Continuity and Change in Family Interactions across Adolescence" (Peter Noack and Baerbel Kracke); (6) "Talk to Mom and Dad and Listen to What Is in Between: A Differential Approach to Family Communication and Its Impact on Adolescent Development" (Kurt Kreppner and Manuela Ullrich); (7) "Family Interaction as a Context for the Development of Adolescent Autonomy" (Marc Noom and Maja Dekovic); (8) "Family Interaction and Psychosocial Adjustment of Adopted and Nonadopted Adolescents" (Elke Wild); and (9) "The Meaning of Parent-Adolescent Interactions for Structuring Relationships and Society" (Jeffrey McLellan and Miranda Yates). Each article contains references. (KB)