Mother-child interactions involving power were examined among 240 middle class mother-child dyads in which children were either 8 or 11 years old. Defined as exchanges occurring around decision-making points in which the mother and child had divergent aims, power interactions were classified according to whether they were symmetrical or complementary in nature. In individual and joint sessions, subjects responded to cartoon representations of conflict situations made to assess the maintenance of individual perspectives (symmetrical interaction) and the adoption of another's point of view (complementary interaction). Results showed that the complementary relational model was prevalent in both individual and joint phases. Most children viewed their mothers as the stronger person in power-oriented interactions. Mothers more often perceived power interaction as being complementary, or based on alternation of the one-up position, or with the child in the one-up position. Mothers of 11-year-old sons tended to see the son more often in the one-up position. In the joint phase of the test, it was more usual for children to adapt their answers to their mother's answers. When, in the joint phase, interpersonal perception became the object of metacommunication, the child was recognized as dominant, but the mother defined at the behavioral level what the relational rules were. (RH)