As family systems research has expanded, so have investigations into how marital partners coparent together. Although coparenting research has increasingly found support for the influential role of coparenting on both marital relationships and parenting practices, coparenting has traditionally been investigated as part of an indirect system which begins with marital health, is mediated by coparenting processes, and then culminates in each partner's parenting. The field has not tested how this traditional model compares to the equally plausible alternative model in which coparenting simultaneously predicts both marital relationships and parenting practices. Furthermore, statistical and practical limitations have typically resulted in only one parent being analyzed in these models. This study used model-fitting analyses to include both wives and husbands in a test of these two alternative models of the role of coparenting in the family system. Our data suggested that both the traditional indirect model (marital health to coparenting to parenting practices), and the alternative predictor model where coparenting alliance directly and simultaneously predicts marital health and parenting practices, fit for both spouses. This suggests that dynamic and multiple roles may be played by coparenting in the overall family system, and raises important practical implications for family clinicians.

Research using Internet surveys is an emerging field, yet research on the legitimacy of using Internet studies, particularly those targeting sensitive topics, remains under-investigated. The current study builds on the existing literature by exploring the demographic differences between Internet panel and RDD telephone survey samples, as well as differences in responses with regard to experiences of intimate partner violence perpetration and victimization, alcohol and substance use/abuse, PTSD symptomatology, and social support. Analyses indicated that after controlling for demographic differences, there were few differences between the samples in their disclosure of sensitive information, and that the online sample was more socially isolated than the phone sample. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for using Internet samples in research on sensitive topics. Keywords sensitive topics; survey research; online surveys; phone surveys; methodology Researchers in the social and health-related sciences struggle with the challenge of achieving accurate disclosures in survey research, especially when that research addresses sensitive issues such as the perpetration and victimization of violence, illegal behaviors, and symptoms of mental illness. There are many factors that contribute to the under-reporting of such experiences, including the fear of being judged by researchers, embarrassment about their experiences, and possible re-victimization which may result from reporting victimization experiences (Rubin & Babbie, 1993;Schuman & Converse, 1971). Topics that are sensitive in nature can lead respondents to be influenced by social desirability (Tourangeau & Yan, 2007). This makes studying these issues particularly challenging, and requires a better understanding of the impact of different survey designs on study findings. Demographic © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Denise A. Hines, Clark University, Department of Psychology, 950 Main St., Worcester, MA 01610. Phone: 508-793-7458. dhines@clarku.edu. Publisher's Disclaimer: This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final citable form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. NIH Public Access Author ManuscriptComput Human Behav. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2011 November 1. NIH-PA Author ManuscriptNIH-PA Author Manuscript NIH-PA Author Manuscript differences may also result from using different data collection methodologies. This study centers on a comparison of an Internet panel sample with a random digit dial (RDD) telephone sample, particularly with regard to how these two methods differ when measuring...

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