Interparental Conflict Research Articles

The interplay among interparental conflict, children's emotional insecurity, neurophysiological correlates of processing interparental conflict cues, and externalizing symptoms.

Exposure to destructive interparental conflict consistently predicts children's externalizing symptoms. Research has identified children's emotional security as an explanatory mechanism underpinning this association, but little is known about the role of children's neurophysiology in this pathway. We aimed to address that gap using event-related potential (ERP) data from a sample of 86 children, ages 9-11 years. The P3 ERP was measured during an emotion categorization task involving photographs of a couple exhibiting facial expressions of emotion toward one another. Angry images were target stimuli, and happy and neutral images were nontarget stimuli. Children reported interparental conflict, and their mothers reported children's emotional security. Mothers also reported children's externalizing symptoms at two time points 1 year apart. Results indicated elevated interparental conflict predicted more behavioral dysregulation (an aspect of emotional insecurity), which predicted a smaller P3 on angry trials, which, in turn, predicted greater externalizing symptoms 1 year later, controlling for initial externalizing. Greater involvement in interparental conflict, another aspect of emotional insecurity, predicted a larger P3 on neutral trials. Further, both greater involvement and a larger P3 on happy trials predicted increases in externalizing. The results suggest differing associations between different elements of emotional insecurity and the P3.

Development and Validation of Perceived Inter-Parental Conflict Scale for Adolescents

The study aimed to develop a culturally relevant scale to assess the perceived inter-parental conflicts in adolescents by using a mixed-method approach. Semi-structured in-depth interviews with 10 adolescents of age range 14-18 years were conducted along with 3 focus groups of parents and teachers that helped to generate a pool of 88 items. Construct validity and psychometric properties were determined on a sample of 500 adolescent with age range 14-18 years (M = 15.28, SD = 1.07). Principal axis factoring through direct oblimin rotation method postulated 60 items with six distinct factors (named as overt conflicts, familial conflicts, conflicts related emotional reactivity, financial conflicts, child related conflicts, and psychological conflicts) that accounted for 38% variance. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for total scale was .94 and ranged from .63 to .92 for six emerged factors. The convergent and discriminant validity of the scale was also satisfactory. Perceived Inter-Parental Conflict Scale for Adolescents (PIPCSA) was a reliable and valid measure to assess perceived inter-parental conflicts in adolescents.

Intraindividual differences in adolescent threat appraisals and anxiety associated with Interparental conflict

AbstractObjectiveThis study examined within‐ and between‐person associations among interparental conflict (IPC), threat appraisals, temperament, and anxiety to evaluate how these risk processes unfold at the daily level in adolescence.BackgroundAdolescence is a developmental period of increased risk for anxiety, and exposure to IPC in the home elevates this risk. Specifically, adolescents who perceive IPC as threatening are at particularly high risk for anxiety, yet less is known about how characteristics of the adolescent (temperamental effortful control and dispositional levels of anxiety), as well as characteristics of the family (usual IPC), may temper this risk pathway.MethodThe sample included 151 adolescents and their caregivers who completed baseline surveys and 21 daily surveys. Longitudinal mixed models were used to test within‐ and between‐person associations between IPC and threat appraisals, and threat appraisals and anxious mood, including moderators of effortful control, dispositional anxiety, and usual IPC.ResultsOn days when IPC was higher than usual adolescents perceived more threat, and on days when adolescents perceived more threat they had higher levels of anxious mood. Within‐person links between IPC and threat appraisals were moderated by usual IPC and adolescent dispositional anxiety levels. The within‐person link between situational threat and anxious mood was moderated by dispositional anxiety levels.ConclusionThe results underscore the importance of considering individual differences in within‐person effects of IPC and threat appraisals on adolescent daily anxiety.

Relationship Between Parental Marital Conflict and Social Anxiety Symptoms of Chinese College Students: Mediation Effect of Attachment.

Social anxiety has been a common problem among college students and has an adverse impact on their adaptation outcomes. Among influential factors, parental marital conflict and attachment (parental and peer attachment) have been found to be related to social anxiety symptoms of college students; however, little is known how parental marital conflict and attachment jointly contribute to social anxiety symptoms of college students. The current study explored this issue. Self-reported questionnaires of perception of children of interparental conflict scale, inventory of parent and peer attachment, and the social interaction anxiety scale were administered to 707 undergraduate students (Mean age = 19.27, SD = 0.97). Results indicated that perceived parental marital conflict was positively correlated with social anxiety symptoms and was negatively associated with parental and peer attachment. Parental and peer attachments were negatively correlated with social anxiety symptoms. Mediation analyses indicated that perceived parental marital conflict exerted its indirect effect on social anxiety symptoms through a serial multiple mediation role of parental and peer attachment. The present findings highlight the serial multiple mediation role of parental and peer attachment in the relationship between perceived parental marital conflict and social anxiety symptoms of college students.

Foreldre underrapporterer om konflikter og utfordringer i forkant av mekling. En evaluering av familievernets differensieringsverktøy

Background: In 2016, the Norwegian family counselling service implemented differentiated mediation to give cumstomized help. The differentiation tool (i.e., questionnaire) has never been evaluated. Method: Using a sample of 761 parents, we compared parent responses given over the phone to the family counselling service and anonymously to an electronic version of the questionnaire. Results: One-third of the parents underreported their challenges to the family counselling service, and only 15% of parents who, in the electronic questionnaire reported substanse abuse or violence in the relationship, revealed this to the service. Underreporters had higher interparental conflict and more symptoms of anxiety and depression. Parents who underreported problems with substanse abuse and violence had more physically violent conflicts. Conclusions: There is a need to improve the validity of the differentiation tool. We suggest that parents need information and a safe environment when completing the questionnaire. Electronic administration of the questionnaire may serve this purpose. Keywords: parental mediation, differentiated mediation, parental conflict, partner violence

The Impact of Parental Relationship Satisfaction on Infant Development: Results From the Population-Based Cohort Study DREAM.

Extensive literature has shown that interparental conflicts and violence have detrimental effects on children's adjustment in childhood and adolescence. It is not equally well-understood how parental relationship satisfaction impacts infant communicational and personal-social development during the first year of life. This longitudinal study examines (a) the impact of maternal and paternal relationship satisfaction on infant development, (b) whether this prospective association is mediated by parent-infant relationship, and (c) a potential moderating effect of infant gender. Data were derived from the population-based cohort study “Dresden Study on Parenting, Work, and Mental Health” (DREAM) including 1,012 mothers and 676 fathers. Relationship satisfaction and parent-infant relationship were assessed eight weeks postpartum, infant communicational and personal-social development were measured 14 months postpartum. Multiple linear regression, mediation, and moderation analyses were conducted for mothers and fathers separately. It was shown that paternal relationship satisfaction is a significant predictor of infant personal-social development. This prospective association was partially mediated by father-infant relationship. When postnatal depression was included in the analysis, however, father-infant relationship was not a significant mediator. The association in fathers is neither reduced nor increased as a function of infant gender. No similar effects were found in the mothers' sample. Parental relationship satisfaction did not significantly predict infant communicational development in either mothers or fathers. The study findings highlight the importance of paternal relationship satisfaction, father-infant relationship, and postnatal depression for infant personal-social development.

Family and individual risk factors for triangulation: Evaluating evidence for emotion coaching buffering effects.

Adolescents who are triangulated into interparental conflict are at increased risk for psychological maladjustment. However, little is known about factors that may predict family risk for triangulating adolescents, or protective factors that can off-set this risk. In this study, we conducted longitudinal tests of family, parent, and adolescent factors that might predict increases in triangulation over time. The sample included 174 adolescents and their mother figures from two-parent families (58% female; Mage =14.75years) who provided data on two occasions, six months apart. Hierarchical linear regression models evaluated family, parent, and adolescent risk factors for triangulation into interparental conflict, and subsequently parent's emotion coaching and adolescent gender as potential moderators of risk for triangulation. Findings revealed that low family cohesion, parent depression, and adolescent difficulties with emotion regulation represented risks for triangulation. Parent emotion coaching moderated the association between low interparental love and triangulation differentially based on adolescent gender.

Witnessing interparental conflict, feeling caught, and mental health: A conditional process analysis involving parental confirmation and divorce status

This study tested parental confirmation and divorce as moderators of the direct and indirect effects of witnessing interparental conflict (i.e., demand/withdraw patterns and aggression) on young adults’ mental health through feelings of being caught between parents. Participants included 493 young adults from first-marriage and post-divorce families. Conditional process analyses revealed that both parental confirmation and divorce status moderated the positive association between demand/withdraw patterns and feeling caught. Each parent’s aggression toward their (ex)spouse reduced the inverse association between confirmation and children feeling caught. Father confirmation moderated the indirect effect of witnessing parents’ demand/withdraw patterns on young adults’ mental health via their feelings of being caught, and this moderation was conditioned by divorce status. Consequently, parents may find that confirmation provides a sense of relational reassurance that softens the more immediate distress that their children experience when witnessing their disputes and feeling caught.

Children's dove temperament as a differential susceptibility factor in child rearing contexts.

This multistudy article examines whether children's susceptibility to their socialization experiences varies as a function of their dove temperament dispositions, an evolutionarily informed pattern of traits marked by a low threshold of environmental stimulation and greater behavioral flexibility across environmental contexts. Participants in Study 1 consisted of 70 mothers and their 4- to 6-year-old children: M age = 4.79 years; 57% girls; 33% Black or multiracial; 14% Latinx; median annual income range = $55,000 - $74,999. For Study 2, participants were 243 families, including mothers, fathers, and preschool children: M age = 4.60 years; 56% girls; 54% Black or multiracial, 16% Latinx; median annual income = $36,000). The studies used multimethod, multiinformant measurement batteries within a cross-sectional design (i.e., Study 1) or longitudinal design with three annual measurement occasions (i.e., Study 2). Study 1 findings indicated that associations among maternal parenting quality and psychological problems were only significant for children who were high in dove temperament. Consistent with these findings, Study 2 latent growth curve analyses showed that children experiencing high family adversity (i.e., maternal and paternal parenting difficulties, interparental conflict) were more susceptible to subsequent internalizing and social problems only when they were high in dove temperament. Supporting its role as a susceptibility factor, findings revealed that children with dove temperaments evidenced lower levels of psychological problems under supportive family conditions and higher psychological difficulties in adverse family contexts. Analyses further showed that the composition and moderating effects of dove temperament were distinct from other temperamental susceptibility candidates. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Parenting Styles, Coparenting, and Early Child Adjustment in Separated Families with Child Physical Custody Processes Ongoing in Family Court.

Coparenting conflict and triangulation after separation or divorce are associated with poorer child adjustment when parenting gatekeeping and conflict occur. Fewer studies reported psychosocial adjustment of children under three. We explored the effects of authoritarian and permissive parenting styles and negative coparenting on child adjustment in a purpose sample of 207 Portuguese newly separated/divorced parents (50.2% mothers/49.8% fathers) with sole or joint (49.8%/50.2%) physical custody processes ongoing in court. Parents filled out the Parenting Styles Questionnaire—Parents’ report, the Coparenting Questionnaire, and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Parenting and coparenting moderations path analysis to predict child adjustment were tested for two groups (2/3-year-old child/>3-year-old-child) and showed a good fit, followed by multigroup path analysis with similarities. Findings suggest harsh parenting and interparental conflict and triangulation as predictors for poor early child adjustment. The ongoing custody process could contribute to increased interparental conflict. The families’ unique functioning, parenting, and conflict should be considered in young children custody decisions made in a particularly stressful period when the parental responsibilities’ process is still ongoing and conflict may increase to serve the best interest of the child and promote healthy development. Future directions and practical implications are discussed.

Effects of Covid-19 lockdown on parental functioning in vulnerable families.

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to increase the knowledge about how the initial Covid‐19 lockdown influenced parental functioning in vulnerable families.BackgroundThe Covid‐19 pandemic has caused major changes to family life. Using a natural experiment design can potentially adjudicate on former inconclusive findings about the effects of lockdown on parental functioning in vulnerable families.MethodResponses from parents in a sample of potentially vulnerable families in Norway were divided into a lockdown group if participating at baseline and during the initial Covid‐19 lockdown (n = 820 responses) or into a control group if participating at baseline and before lockdown (n = 1368 responses). Mixed model regression analyses were used to mimic a wait‐list design investigating direct lockdown effects on mental health, parenting stress, and three aspects of interparental conflicts, as well as moderation effects.ResultsThe lockdown group showed significantly higher levels of parenting stress compared with the control group, but no aversive lockdown effect on mental health or destructive conflicts were found. In fact, decreased levels of verbal aggression and child involvement in conflict were found during lockdown among parents living apart. Pre‐existing financial problems and conflict levels, age of youngest child, and parent gender did not moderate the lockdown effects.ConclusionThe initial lockdown did not seem to adversely affect parental functioning, beyond increased parenting stress. Caution should be taken when generalizing the findings as child effects and long‐term lockdown effects were not investigated.

Interparental Conflict Across the Early Parenting Period: Evidence From Fathers Participating in an Australian Population-Based Study

Current evidence about the prevalence of interparental conflict (IPC) during early parenthood is primarily based on mothers’ reports. Drawing upon Australian longitudinal data from 4136 fathers, the aims of the study were to: (a) report on the extent to which fathers report IPC across six biennial time intervals when their children were aged 6–12 months to 10–11 years, (b) identify trajectories of IPC over time and (c) identify postnatal factors (at the initial time point) associated with high risk trajectories of IPC. One in 10 fathers reported high IPC at each time interval. A high and increasing pattern of IPC was observed for 6% of fathers. Factors associated with this trajectory were fathers being from a non-English speaking background and high postnatal psychological distress reported by mothers and fathers. These findings underscore the importance of early intervention for some families experiencing IPC in the early years of their children’s lives.

Interparental Conflict and Korean Children's Inhibitory Control: Testing Emotional Insecurity as a Mediator.

This study examined the association between interparental conflict and inhibitory control of Korean children, and it investigated whether this relationship is mediated by the single latent variable of emotional insecurity or by three dimensions of emotional insecurity (i.e., involvement, emotional reactivity, and avoidance). A total of 166 mother–father dyads with Korean children aged 3–5 years participated in a short-term longitudinal survey at two-time points. Both parents completed measures of interparental conflict and emotional insecurity, and, 6 months later, they completed a measure of the inhibitory control of children. The structural equation modeling results suggested that interparental conflict was related to poor inhibitory control in Korean children. Emotional insecurity did not mediate the association between interparental conflict and inhibitory control. Of the three emotional insecurity dimensions, the involvement partially mediated the relationship. Interestingly, although interparental conflict predicted poor inhibitory control, the involvement of children in the conflict, which was associated with a greater interparental conflict, predicted a subsequent increase in inhibitory control 6 months later. These findings were interpreted in terms of sensory processing patterns, the reformulation of emotional security theory, and the influence of Confucianism on Korean culture.

Assessing Silent Conflict: Results from the Portuguese Version of the Silent Interparental Conflict Scale

Assessing Silent Conflict: Results from the Portuguese Version of the Silent Interparental Conflict Scale

Landscape of childhood and adolescent depression in Pakistan: experience from a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan

AimsDepression is highly prevalent in children and adolescents in Pakistan, yet, factors affecting depression have not been widely studied. This study aims to assess the demographic and clinical characteristics of depression in children and adolescents and identify associations between parental marital status and confounding factors for depression.MethodA descriptive retrospective study was undertaken at the Aga Khan University Hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. Patient records of children and adolescents (aged under 18 years), presenting to the psychiatry clinic with depression from 2015-2019 were reviewed. The diagnosis of clinical depression was made based on clinical assessment according to international guidelines. Patients whose medical records had missing information were excluded. Data were analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, version 23.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, N.Y., USA). Continuous data are presented as mean +/- standard deviation, whereas categorical data are presented as percentages (%). Pearson Chi-square test of association has been used to assess the association between parental factors and confounding factors. In instances where Pearson's Chi-square test could not be applied, Fisher's exact test is used instead. Associations at p <0.05 (95% confidence limit) are considered statistically significant.ResultA total of 133 participants were included, of which 78 (58.6%) were female, and 55 (41.4%) were male, with a mean age of 15.5 +/- 2.4 (Range: Ages 4–18). The population had a 50.4% prevalence of suicidal ideation, 21.1% of self-harm, 15% of substance abuse and 14.3% of suicide attempts. Academic stress (54.9%), inter-parental conflict (30.1%) and child abuse (29.3%) were the most common confounding factors reported. Other confounding factors include a family history of depression (20.3%), experience of bullying (16.5%) witnessing domestic violence (16.5%), substance abuse (15.0%) and experiencing sexual abuse (6.0%). There is a statistically significant association between children having parents with non-intact marriages and experiencing sexual abuse (p < 0.001, Odds Ratio (OR) = 21.48), having a family history of depression (p < 0.001, OR = 7.04), child abuse (OR = 3.78). Children of non-traditional (not living with both parents) families were more likely to witness domestic violence (p < 0.001, OR = 4.28), have a family history of depression (p < 0.001, OR = 3.44), abuse substances (OR = 3.20) and experience child abuse (OR = 2.48).ConclusionThis study identifies factors that may put children at an increased risk of developing depression and performing high-risk behaviours. The findings can help develop better screening programs and counselling for children and adolescents, allowing prevention and ensuring early diagnosis and care.

Finances, depressive symptoms, destructive conflict, and coparenting among lower-income, unmarried couples: A two-wave, cross-lagged analysis.

Following from an adapted family stress model (FSM), we used two-wave, secondary data from the Building Strong Families project, focusing on 4,424 primarily lower-income, unmarried couples expecting their first child together. We used cross-lagged analyses to test the directionality of the associations among financial difficulties, depressive symptoms, destructive interparental conflict, and coparenting alliance for both fathers and mothers when children were 15 and 36 months old. Two of the three hypotheses provided support for the FSM. First, destructive conflict predicted coparenting alliance (but not the reverse). Specifically, higher destructive conflict at 15 months for both fathers and mothers predicted lower coparenting alliance at 36 months for both fathers and mothers. Second, depressive symptoms predicted destructive conflict (but not the reverse). Specifically, fathers' (but not mothers') higher depressive symptoms at 15 months predicted both their own and mothers' higher destructive conflict at 36 months. Contrary to predictions, financial difficulties did not predict depressive symptoms; instead, we found support for the reverse: For mothers only, higher depressive symptoms at 15 months predicted higher financial difficulties at 36 months. Collectively, the results support the use of the FSM to understand the directionality of associations among key risk factors, especially depressive symptoms and destructive conflict, for primarily lower-income, unmarried couples expecting their first child together. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

A Pilot Study of Younger Sibling Adaptation: Contributions of Individual Variables, Daily Stress, Interparental Conflict and Older Sibling's Variables.

Older siblings are powerful socialization agents, playing a significant role in the sociocognitive, social, and emotional development of their younger siblings. However, there are few clues about the variables that explain younger sibling’s adaptation. The objective of this pilot study was to identify the determinants of younger siblings' adaptation and to analyze the role played by personal, sibling, family and older siblings’ variables using 50 dyads of siblings aged between 7 and 18 years. The variables considered were the sibling relationships and the maladaptation of older siblings, and individual (sex, number of siblings, extroversion, and agreeableness) and contextual variables (interparental conflict, daily stress) were controlled. Hierarchical multiple regressions provided evidence in favor of the model that analyzed the younger siblings' maladaptation to school, showing positive associations both with the older siblings' level of school maladaptation and with sibling conflict. In addition, the study highlighted the relevance of the trait of agreeableness and of family stress in the adaptation of younger siblings.

Risk Factors Associated with Cyberbullying, Cybervictimization, and Cyberbullying-Victimization in Iran's High School Students.

Objective: This study aimed at finding the risk and protective factors of cyberbullying.Method: A total of 425 high school students (199 boys and 226 girls) were selected using a cluster randomized procedure. The risk and protective factors included gender, internet use, self-esteem, dark triad traits (Machiavellianism, narcissism and psychopathy), school bullying perpetration, school bullying victimization, interparental conflict, and school climate.Results: The results of multinomial logistic regression showed that being male, school bullying perpetration, and school bullying victimization can significantly increase the chances of being a cyberbully-victim and spending one hour or less on the internet can significantly decrease the chances of being a cyberbully-victim.Conclusion: This study provides important implications for any prevention and intervention programs for cyberbullying, which must consider the roles of traditional bullying, gender differences, and internet use in cyberbullying behavior.

The Impact of Interparental Conflicts on Online Game Addiction Symptomatology: The Mediating Roles of the Parent-Adolescent Relationship and Loneliness in Adolescents.

Many studies have documented the close association that exists between interparental conflicts and the symptomatology of online game addiction. However, the underlying mechanism that drives this association has not been fully investigated. This cross-sectional study explores the effect of interparental conflicts on online game addiction symptomatology in adolescents, focusing on the mediating effects of the parent-adolescent relationship and of adolescent loneliness. A total of 553 middle school students completed a questionnaire that included: a perception of interparental conflict scale, a level of closeness to parents scale, a short UCLA Loneliness scale, and an online game addiction symptomatology scale. Results showed that interparental conflicts, parent-adolescent relations, and adolescent loneliness are all significantly related to online game addiction symptomatology in adolescents. Structural equation modeling results indicate that the effects of interparental conflicts on adolescent online game addiction symptomatology are partially mediated by the parent-adolescent relationship and by adolescent loneliness.

The association between interparental conflict and problematic internet use among Chinese adolescents: Testing a moderated mediation model

Interparental conflict is a risk factor for adolescent problematic internet use (PIU), but little research has investigated the processing mechanisms underlying this association. Based on the future time perspective theory, this study tested the idea that interparental conflict would be associated with adolescent PIU via restraining the protective effect of future positive time perspective (FPTP) and boosting the deleterious effect of future negative time perspective (FNTP). Moreover, drawing upon the ecological system theory, this study also investigated the interplay between interparental conflict and teacher-student relationship in relation to future time perspective and further to PIU. Using three-wave longitudinal data, with each time point spanning three months apart, this study examined the aforesaid questions in 523 Chinese adolescents (276 boys, Mage = 14.64 years). Results of moderated mediation model found that after controlling for T1 PIU, T1 interparental conflict was associated with T3 PIU through T2 FNTP. Moreover, a stronger teacher-student relationship played a protective role for adolescents less exposed to interparental conflict. These findings provide nuanced explanation about how and for whom interparental conflict is associated with PIU in adolescents. The results also shed light on effective prevention and intervention strategies to mitigate adolescent PIU in the Chinese context.