This report examines effects of a coparenting intervention designed for and delivered to expectant unmarried African American mothers and fathers on observed interaction dynamics known to predict relationship adjustment. Twenty families took part in the six-session "Figuring It Out for the Child" (FIOC) dyadic intervention offered in a faith-based human services agency during the third trimester of the mother's pregnancy, and completed a postpartum booster session 1 month after the baby's arrival. Parent referrals for the FIOC program were received from a county Health Department and from OBGYNs and Pregnancy Centers in the targeted community. All intervention sessions were delivered by a trained male-female paraprofessional team whose fidelity to the FIOC manualized curriculum was independently evaluated by a team of trained analysts. At both the point of intake ("PRE") and again at an exit evaluation completed 3 months postpartum ("POST"), the mothers and fathers were videotaped as they completed two standardized "revealed differences" conflict discussions. Blinded videotapes of these sessions were evaluated using the System for Coding Interactions in Dyads. Analyses documented statistically significant improvements on 8 of 12 variables examined, with effect sizes ranging from moderate to large. Overall, 14 families demonstrated beneficial outcomes, 3 did not improve, and 3 showed some signs of decline from the point of intake. For most interaction processes, PRE to POST improvements were unrelated to degree of adherence the paraprofessional interventionists showed to the curriculum. However, better interventionist competence was related to decreases in partners' Coerciveness and Negativity and Conflict, and to smaller increases in partner Withdrawal. Implications of the work for development and delivery of community-based coparenting interventions for unmarried parents are discussed.

Past empirical work has repeatedly revealed that positive social interactions including expressing gratitude and socializing are associated with greater happiness. However, this work predominantly focused on prolonged interactions with close relationship partners. Only a few studies demonstrated hedonic benefits of forming social connections with strangers. The present research investigated whether minimal social interactions with strangers-just taking a moment to greet, thank, and express good wishes to strangers-contribute to happiness of individuals who initiate these interactions. Study 1 (N = 856) provided correlational evidence that commuters who reported engaging in minimal positive social interactions with shuttle drivers experienced greater subjective well-being (life satisfaction and positive affect). Moreover, hedonic benefits of positive social interactions went beyond relatively more neutral social interactions, Big-Five personality factors, and age, speaking to the robustness of the effect. Study 2 (N = 265) provided experimental evidence that commuters who greeted, thanked, or expressed good wishes to shuttle drivers experienced greater momentary positive affect than those who did not speak with drivers. These findings add to the burgeoning literature on hedonic benefits of interacting with strangers by showing that even very minimal social interactions with strangers contribute to subjective well-being in everyday life.

In this report, coparenting behaviors during triangular interactions among families raising a 3-month-old infant in Turkey are examined. Given the significant role played by extended family members in Turkish culture, coparenting dynamics were examined as mothers and babies played together with grandmothers, as well as together with fathers. Forty-five families took part, and 42 father-mother-baby and 33 grandmother-mother-baby triangular interactions of approximately 10 min in length were filmed during the Lausanne Trilogue Play. From videotapes of the interactions, individual and mutual coparenting behaviors were evaluated using the Coparenting and Family Rating System: 3 Month Adaptation (CFRS3M). Results indicated that while mothers' own parenting behavior when in the LTP role of Active Parent (AP) was comparable whether with fathers or grandmothers, their behavior when in the LTP role of third party parent (TPP) was comparatively more engaged while with fathers than while with grandmothers. Fathers were comparatively less engaged when occupying the TPP role than were mothers in the TPP role, while grandmothers showed more flirting and distracting behavior in the TPP role than did either fathers or mothers. These findings are significant in documenting meaningful distinctions in Turkish grandmothers' as well as in Turkish fathers' and mothers' coparenting propensities when engaging in triangular interactions with babies during the LTP.

Background: Most prenatal preventive interventions for unmarried mothers do not integrate fathers or help the parents plan for the development of a functional coparenting alliance after the baby’s arrival. Furthermore, properly trained professionals have only rarely examined the fidelity of these interventions. Purpose: This report examines whether experienced community interventionists (home visitors, health educators, fatherhood service personnel) with no formal couples’ therapy training are capable of pairing together to deliver with adequate fidelity a manualized dyadic intervention designed for expectant unmarried mothers and fathers. Methods: Three male and four female mentors (home visitors, health educators, fatherhood personnel) working in paired male–female co-mentor teams delivered a seven-session “Figuring It Out for the Child” curriculum (six prenatal sessions, one booster) to 14 multirisk, unmarried African American families (parent age ranging from 14 to 40). Parental well-being and views of fatherhood were assessed before the intervention and again 3 months after the baby’s birth. Quality assurance analysts evaluated mentor fidelity (adherence to the curriculum, competence in engaging couples with specified curricular content) through a review of the transcripts and audiotapes from the sessions. Mentors also rated their own adherence. Results: Although the mentors overestimated adherence, quality assurance analyst ratings found acceptable levels of adherence and competence, with no significant male–female differences in fidelity. Adherence and competence were marginally higher in sessions that required fewer direct couples’ interventions. Parents reported satisfaction with the interventions and showed statistically significant improvement in the family dimensions of interest at 3–4 months posttreatment. Conclusions/Implications for Practice: Findings support the wisdom of engaging men both as interventionists and as recipients of prenatal coparenting interventions—even in families where the parents are uncoupled and non-co-residential.

Ortak ebeveynlik, anne ve babaların çocuk yetiştirmeyle ilgili sorumlulukları paylaşmaları, birbirlerini desteklemeleri ve aile içindeki dinamikleri birlikte yönetmeleri olarak tanımlanır (McHale, “Coparenting and Triadic…” 985). Mevcut çalışmada, gözlemlenen ve algılanan ortak ebeveynliğin, bağlanma kaygısı ve bağlanma kaçınması olarak iki boyutta ölçülen romantik bağlanma ile ilişkisi incelenmiştir. Çalışmaya üç aylık bebek (Ort. = 103.78 günlük) sahibi 45 anne-baba bebekleriyle birlikte katılmıştır. Ev ziyaretleri yapılarak ve Lozan Üçlü Oyun Paradigması (Fivaz-Depeursing ve Corboz- Warnery 1) kullanılarak, anne-babalardan bebekleriyle 10'ar dakikalık yarıyapılandırılmış etkileşimlerde bulunmaları istenmiş ve etkileşimler videoya kaydedilmiştir. Kaydedilen ortak ebeveynlik davranışları, “Ortak Ebeveynlik ve Aile Değerlendirme Sistemi” (McHale ve diğerleri, “The Transition to Coparenthood…” 711) kullanılarak araştırmacılar tarafından kodlanmıştır. Algılanan ortak ebeveynlik ve romantik bağlanma değişkenleri, sırasıyla “Ebeveynlik İşbirliği Ölçeği” (Abidin ve Brunner 31) ve “Yakın İlişkilerde Yaşantılar Envanteri-II” (Fraley, Waller ve Brennan 350) ölçekleri ile öz bildirim yöntemiyle değerlendirilmiştir. Bulgular, hem gözlemlenen hem de algılanan olumlu ortak ebeveynliğin, romantik bağlanma boyutları ile olumsuz yönde ilişkili olduğunu göstermiştir. Bağlanma kaygısı ve kaçınması yükseldikçe anne ve babaların bebekleriyle birlikte etkileşimde bulunurken daha az işbirliği gösterdikleri gözlemlenmiştir. Algılanan ortak ebeveynlik ise, hem anneler hem de babalar için sadece bağlanma kaçınması ile (kaygısı ile değil) ilişkili bulunmuş, bu bulgu da ilişkisel Türkiye kültüründe bağlanma kaygısının görece daha işlevsel olduğunu gösteren diğer çalışmaları desteklemiştir.