A Review of the Impact of Marital Conflict on Child Adjustment

Barletta, John; O'Mara, Bernie

doi:10.1375/ajgc.16.1.91

Cited by 16 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…It is possible that the climate of the home, in particular the quality of parents' own relationship with each other, may be important to consider when investigating parenting and children's emotional maladjustment. For example, children's witnessing of interparental conflict is a known correlate of their internalising and externalising problems (Barletta & O'Mara, ; Buehler, Anthony, Krishnakumar, Stone, & Pemberton, ; Rhoades, ). However, previous research seems to demonstrate that the effect of interparental conflict on children's adjustment is indirect via parenting practices and other factors such as appraisal styles (Grych, Fincham, Jouriles, & McDonald, ; Shelton & Harold, ; Turner & Kopiec, ; Zimet & Jacob, ).…”

Section: Interparental Conflictmentioning

confidence: 99%

Parent relationships and adolescents' depression and social anxiety: Indirect associations via emotional sensitivity to rejection threat

Rudolph

Zimmer‐Gembeck

2014

Australian Journal of Psychology

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One prominent theory has proposed that rejection and other negative parenting practices prompt children's emotional sensitivity to the threat of rejection, often referred to as rejection sensitivity (RS). This emotional sensitivity is thought to result in social and emotional maladjustment. In the present study, we tested this model of parenting, emotional sensitivity, and maladjustment with 659 early adolescents (aged 9-13 years). The findings confirmed that adolescents who reported more negative parenting practices had elevated depression and social anxiety symptoms, heightened levels of RS, and more elevated sadness and withdrawal responses to rejection threat. In a final structural equation model, RS and withdrawal were uniquely associated with depressive symptoms, and RS, sadness, and withdrawal were uniquely associated with social anxiety. Moreover, negative parenting had significant associations with symptoms both directly and indirectly via RS, sadness, and/or withdrawal, with the effects mostly direct for depressive symptoms and mostly indirect for social anxiety symptoms. Interparental conflict was also implicated in adolescents' RS, reactions to rejection threat, and symptoms, but these correlational effects were almost entirely indirect via parenting practices. An alternate model of depression and anxiety predicting sensitivity to rejection threat was tested and found to be equally viable. The findings provide a more nuanced understanding of the links between rejection and adolescent emotional adjustment.

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Section: Interparental Conflictmentioning

confidence: 99%

Parent relationships and adolescents' depression and social anxiety: Indirect associations via emotional sensitivity to rejection threat

Rudolph

Zimmer‐Gembeck

2014

Australian Journal of Psychology

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“…For example, those who have the same level of marital satisfaction can exhibit either high or low frequency or severity of marital conflict. In the present study, we focused on examining the influence of marital conflict, which is a well‐defined dimension of marital quality that is strongly associated with child adjustment (e.g., Barletta & O'Mara, ; Buehler et al, ; Cummings & Davies, ; Emery, ; Fincham, ; Harold, Fincham, Osborne, & Conger, ; Kaczynski, Lindahl, Malik, & Laurenceau, ).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Marital Conflict Behaviors and Parenting: Dyadic Links Over Time

Gao

Davies

et al. 2018

Family Relations

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Objective To assess the effects of marital conflict on parenting practices for mothers and fathers and to examine whether these effects differ for within‐person and cross‐person links in parental dyads. Background Existing findings are mixed regarding the nature and magnitude of the association between marital conflict and childrearing behaviors. Little is known about parental role differences in this regard between fathers and mothers and the mutual influence on the other's responding. Method A sample of 235 families (fathers, mothers, and their kindergarten children) participated in the study over a 2‐year period. Fathers and mothers independently reported on constructive and destructive marital conflict tactics, as well as on their parenting behaviors in scenarios of children experiencing negative emotions. Results Results indicated cross‐person and within‐person relations. For example, fathers' destructive conflict predicted mothers' distress reactions to children's negative emotions, supporting a spillover hypothesis. Mothers' destructive conflict behaviors predicted less unsupportive maternal parenting, supporting a compensatory hypothesis. Conclusion Fathers' and mothers' marital conflict behaviors may have different implications for their own and their spouses' parenting. Implications Intervention and prevention programs that target improving marital conflict interactions may also help promote positive parenting. The findings also support that both fathers and mothers should be included in these programs to increase the beneficial effects on parenting practices.

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“…No contexto internacional, diversos estudiosos do tema há mais de duas décadas vêm se preocupando em discutir os efeitos dos conflitos conjugais sobre o desenvolvimento dos filhos (Barletta & O'Mara, 2006;Cummings & Davies, 2002;Davies & Cummings, 1994;Grych & Fincham, 1990;Kouros, Goeke-Morey, Papp, & Cummings, 2014;Zimet & Jacob, 2000). Embora ainda de forma modesta, na última década apareceram estudos nacionais de revisão da literatura que abordam a influência das relações familiares sobre o comportamento dos filhos.…”

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Repercussões do Conflito Conjugal para o Ajustamento de Crianças e Adolescentes: Um Estudo Teórico

Goulart¹,

Wagner²,

Barbosa³

et al. 2016

Inter. Psicol.

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RESUMOAs repercussões do conflito conjugal no desenvolvimento da prole vêm sendo estudadas de forma expressiva no contexto internacional. Assumindo a relevância desta temática para a saúde mental familiar, o objetivo do presente estudo é descrever as repercussões do conflito conjugal para o ajustamento de crianças e adolescentes, a partir da literatura. Para tanto, fez-se uma articulação dos resultados de pesquisas derivadas dos principais modelos teóricos que explicam tais reverberações no contexto familiar. Expõem-se resultados de estudos acerca da percepção, dos sentimentos e das estratégias de enfrentamento dos filhos diante do conflito conjugal, demonstrando a influência negativa do conflito para o desenvolvimento dos filhos e, confirmando o efeito spillover. Destacam-se o reconhecimento do caráter multidimensional do conflito e a existência da multiplicidade de caminhos e fatores que influenciam a vulnerabilidade dos filhos ao conflito conjugal.Palavras-chave: conflito conjugal; filhos; parentalidade. ABSTRACT Effects of Marital Conflict for Children's Adjustament: A Theoretical StudyThe impact of the marital conflict on offspring's development has been studied in a significant way in the international context. Based on the importance of this issue for family's mental health, the aim of this study it's to describe the impact of marital conflict on the adjustment of children and adolescents based on the literature. As such, an articulation of the results derived from the main theoretical frameworks that aim to explain such reverberations on the family context is made. Results of the studies regarding the appraisals, feelings and coping strategies of the children facing marital conflict are shown, demonstrating the negative influence of the conflict for the offspring's development, and confirming the spillover effect. Noteworthy are the recognition of the multidimensional nature of the conflict and the existence of multiple paths and factors that influence the vulnerability of children to marital conflict.Keywords: conflict; children; parenting. * Endereço para correspondência: Adriana Wagner -adrianawagner.ufrgs@hotmail.com O conflito conjugal pode ser definido como qualquer situação de interação entre o casal que envolva diferença de opinião, negativa ou positiva (Cummings & Davies, 2010). Quando um casal não tem filhos, o enfrentamento das situações de conflito pode ficar limitado ao contexto conjugal. Entretanto, quando se trata de cônjuges que moram com seus filhos, é natural que crianças e adolescentes estejam expostos, em alguma medida, às discórdias conjugais. Assim, as respostas do casal frente a situações de conflito podem ir além do contexto conjugal, gerando repercussões para o desenvolvimento dos filhos e para a dinâmica das relações familiares.A associação entre problemas conjugais e prejuízos no desenvolvimento dos filhos é uma ideia difundida e compartilhada socialmente. Essa associação está tam-

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A Review of the Impact of Marital Conflict on Child Adjustment

Cited by 16 publications

References 30 publications

Parent relationships and adolescents' depression and social anxiety: Indirect associations via emotional sensitivity to rejection threat

Parent relationships and adolescents' depression and social anxiety: Indirect associations via emotional sensitivity to rejection threat

Marital Conflict Behaviors and Parenting: Dyadic Links Over Time

Repercussões do Conflito Conjugal para o Ajustamento de Crianças e Adolescentes: Um Estudo Teórico

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