Associations Between Coparenting and Marital Behavior From Infancy to the Preschool Years.

Abstract

This study examined the associations between coparenting and marital behavior from infancy to the preschool years. Coparenting and marital behavior were assessed in 46 families during observations of family play and marital discussions at 6 months and 3 years. Both coparenting and marital behavior showed moderate stability from 6 months to 3 years. In addition, coparenting and marital behavior were more consistently associated at 3 years than at 6 months. When the predictive capabilities of early coparenting and marital behavior for later coparenting and marital behavior were considered, early coparenting predicted later marital behavior but not vice versa. This study highlights the importance of early coparenting behavior, especially undermining coparenting behavior, for understanding both subsequent coparenting behavior and subsequent marital behavior.

Growing Points for Coparenting Theory and Research

“…Studies that have disentangled coparenting and family group processes from husband-wife relationship systems (e.g., Bearss & Eyberg, 1998;Belsky & Hsieh, 1998;Floyd, Costigan, & Gilliom, 1998;Lindahl & Malik, 1999;McBride & Rane, 1998;McHale & Rasmussen, 1998;Schoppe-Sullivan, Mangelsdorf, Frosch, & McHale, 2004) have made fundamental contributions to this emerging field, and we encourage researchers working in this field to continue considering such distinctions. Indeed, in that wellfunctioning marital partnerships often set the stage for better coordinated coparenting partnerships Katz & Gottman, 1996;Katz & Woodin, 2002;Lewis, 1989;Lindahl & Malik, 1999;McHale, 1995;McHale, Kazali, et al, 2004;McHale, Khazan, et al, 2002;Van Egeren, 2003), researchers should look more closely at families that do and do not fit this general trend (e.g.…”

“…Whether coparental solidarity ultimately comes to be fostered or hampered by characteristics such as ego resilience or reactance remains an open question, as does the arguably more compelling question of whether coparental solidarity can, over time, lead to enduring changes in adults' relational comfort and skill (Palm, 1993), or propensities to respond to extrafamilial stressors with greater (or lesser) flexibility or reactance. Recent data have made it clear that coparental functioning can lead directly to alterations in the marital relationship over time (Belsky&Hsieh, 1998;Schoppe-Sullivan et al, 2004), and Grych and Clark (1999) have proposed that felt stress and perceived efficacy in parenting may likewise be affected by the coparental dynamic (see also Feinberg, 2003). Given these indications, it may very well be that that facets of adult adjustment typically seen as more enduring personality traits may likewise transform, for good or ill, as a function of the degree of support, solidarity, and validation experienced within the coparental alliance.…”

“…Yet because the study of coparenting is still so new, most of what we have learned about stability and development of coparental alliances has involved families with infants, toddlers, and preschoolers (Fivaz-Depeursinge & Corboz-Warnery, 1999; McHale, Kazali, et al, 2004;Schoppe-Sullivan et al, 2004). This is certainly not because coparenting of older children or adolescents is any less important-indeed, coparenting solidarity may be particularly important once children reach the teen years (Allen, Hauser, Eickholt, Bell, & O'Connor, 1994;Brody & Flor, 1996;Sroufe, 1991).…”

Medida da aliança parental: validação portuguesa e construção de uma versão reduzida

“…Esse dado, para além do seu relevo para a validação psicométrica da PAM-R, tem um valor clínico de particular interesse. Indo de encontro com os resultados produzidos pela investigação internacional 5,10,[24][25][26][27][28] , o presente estudo deu indicações que o ajustamento psicossocial das crianças parece estar associado à qualidade da relação interparental na prestação de cuidados instrumentais e emocionais às crianças 6,8 . Consequentemente, o presente estudo demonstrou que o ajustamento e a saúde mental infantil devem ser analisados à luz dos processos familiares.…”

Violence conjugale et paternité : les défis de l’intervention sociale

“…Grâce, d'une part, au mouvement social d'émancipation des femmes, la VC a été reconnue socialement comme un problème grave nécessitant des mesures de protection efficaces pour les femmes victimes et de punition pour les hommes violents (Turcotte, 1997). D'autre part, le mouvement en faveur de l'engagement paternel a permis de valoriser le lien émotif entre le père et l'enfant (Deslauriers, 2008 ;Schoppe-Sullivan et al, 2004). Ces deux mouvements soutiennent des intérêts qui peuvent diverger, soit la protection des personnes victimes et la promotion de l'engagement paternel, ce qui occasionne des débats et des contradictions dans les pratiques (Cabrera et Peters, 2000 ;Edleson et Williams, 2007).…”