Marital Hostility Research Articles

Fatherhood Presents Numerous Challenges

Family systems idea emphasizes the interdependence of family individuals on one another, with the behaviors or experiences about one man or woman infuencing the behaviors yet experiences regarding all others of the rule [1]. Family contributors enact communal positions in accordance in conformity with implicit family rules, which tend according to originate homeostasis in household functioning upon time. Multiple subsystems and alliances inhabit inside families as much well, together with the mother–father kindred (both theirs normal kinship or so co-parents specifcally), parent–child relationships, or sibling relationships. Additionally, household systems fluctuate between theirs level over boundary permeability, which means or effortlessly recent individuals are allowed in, then historic contributors are removed. Particularly express on, research on fathers beside a structures point of view tended in conformity with take place out of the “parenting” camp about research, examining basic patterns regarding family interaction, specially interactions within the marital subsystem such as much marital hostility and confict, or theirs outgrowth infuences of baby outcomes. Research so much took a “fathering” viewpoint centered closely of the respect about involvement by noncustodial fathers and the appreciation of viewing divorced, separated, then single dad and mom with children a household whose boundaries and systems extended over two or more households, as an alternative than limiting our view in imitation of alone households and deeming certain families “single parent families.”

Long-term interparental conflict behavior and knowledge change after a brief family intervention.

To address a gap in the translational research on marital and family conflict intervention, we used a series of multilevel models to examine how interparental constructive conflict behavior, conflict resolution, and conflict knowledge improved up to 3 years postintervention in the Family Communication Project (FCP). The FCP was an experimental, longitudinal intervention focused on family conflict, communication, and adolescent adjustment. Participants consisted of adolescents and their two primary caregivers (N = 225 families). Each family was randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups (parent-adolescent or parent only) or two control groups (self-study or no treatment). Relative to controls, who showed no statistically significant improvement in conflict behavior, resolution, or knowledge, parents in the two-treatment conditions showed improvement in a nonlinear fashion. Modeled with piece-wise slopes, average change trajectories showed statistically significant increases from pretest to posttest, followed by declines but overall significant sustained growth by 3 years. Baseline marital hostility moderated this change, whereby couples who had higher levels of baseline marital hostility responded more favorably to treatment, but also declined more rapidly. Fathers in the study were shown to have stronger long-term treatment effects for conflict knowledge relative to mothers, and higher marital adjustment among fathers at baseline predicted less decline in dyadic conflict resolution after the intervention. The results highlight how examining within-family changes over time and between-family differences in change trajectories can contribute to practical insights about when and for whom interventions are most effective. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Observed parent-adolescent coalitions and family hostilities during family discussions: Associations with marital aggression.

This study investigated bidirectional associations between observed parent-youth coalitions-wherein one parent and a child align themselves against the other parent-and family hostilities as they evolved in real-time during triadic family conflict discussions. Participants were 102 families with an adolescent child (50% girls, Mage =15.3years, SD=0.8). Using time-lagged, multilevel models, we tested immediate, temporal influences from hostility (within marital and mother-youth and father-youth relationships) to parent-youth coalitions and vice versa. Guided by sensitization theories, we also investigated whether a history of marital aggression moderated these links. Results indicated multiple concurrent links supporting the interconnectedness of cross generational coalitions and angry, critical exchanges within multiple family relationships. Moreover, time-linked effects demonstrated that hostility within both the marital and parent-adolescent domains preceded subsequent coalitions, and also that coalitions preceded hostility, particularly in the parent-adolescent domain. Findings further demonstrated that marital aggression moderates temporal associations between fathers' marital hostility and father-youth coalitions. These patterns highlight the dynamic links between hostilities and coalitions, how such patterns spill over across family subsystems, and how these two insidious influences in parents' interactions with their adolescent youth may mutually reinforce each other. This study informs intervention efforts by identifying patterns and sequences of family hostilities surrounding parent-youth coalitions during adolescence.

The biopsychosocial associations between marital hostility and physical health of middle-aged couples.

The aim of the current study was to investigate bio-psycho-behavioral associations between marital distress and the physical health of couples, with two different aspects of physical health outcomes receiving attention: physical illness and physical functional impairments over the middle years. Using an actor-partner interdependence model within a longitudinal approach and data from married heterosexual couples in enduring marriages (N = 370 dyads), we examined the mediating pathways which reflected biopsychosocial processes and addressed how trajectories spousal hostility may contribute to husbands' and wives' later health. The results indicated that hostile marital interactions in the early middle years could wear down couples' regulatory systems through greater psychological distress, more health-risk behaviors, and a higher body mass index (BMI), which in turn increased vulnerability to later physical health problems for both husbands and wives. For both husbands and wives, their evolved psychological distress influenced by both their own and their spouse's perceived spousal hostile behaviors, supported the stress-related dyadic process in the couples. The findings also emphasized the salient role of psychological distress in leading not only to an increased risk of physical illness directly but also to a higher risk of physical impairment through increased levels of BMI for both husbands and wives. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Supplemental Material for The Biopsychosocial Associations Between Marital Hostility and Physical Health of Middle-Aged Couples

Supplemental Material for The Biopsychosocial Associations Between Marital Hostility and Physical Health of Middle-Aged Couples

Marital interaction quality over the transition to parenthood: The role of parents' perceptions of spouses' parenting.

Drawing from the concept of family systems theory, the present study examined how partners' marital hostility and net positive affect observed in prenatal couple interactions forecast their perceptions of each other's parenting 8 months later, and in turn, how these perceptions forecast their subsequent hostility and net positive affect in couple interactions 24 months after childbirth. Data were obtained from a longitudinal study of 124 families in central Texas over their first 2 years of parenthood. Each parent's perceptions of their spouse's parenting were coded from a couple interaction task when infants were 8 months old, and couple interaction qualities were coded from marital interaction tasks when the mothers were pregnant and 24 months after childbirth. Parents' more positive perceptions of their spouse's parenting at 8 months were predicted by greater couple interaction net positive affect and by less couple interaction hostility before childbirth. Greater couple interaction hostility at 24 months after childbirth was predicted indirectly by greater couple hostility before childbirth through mothers' (but not fathers') less positive perceptions of their spouses' parenting. Greater couple net positive affect before childbirth was associated with greater couple net positive affect 2 years later, controlling for parents' perceptions, and fathers' (but not mothers') more positive perceptions were associated with greater couple net positive affect at 24 months. This study should help researchers further understand the role of parents' attitudes toward each other's parenting in couple interaction qualities during the transition to parenthood. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Cognitive reappraisal and nasal cytokine production following experimental rhinovirus infection

Following exposure to the common cold (i.e., rhinovirus), locally produced nasal cytokines (rather than the infection itself) drive the progression of one’s symptoms (Hendley et al., 1973; Cohen et al., 1999). Stress-induced local inflammation exacerbates local cytokine production (e.g., marital hostility; Kiecolt-Glaser et al., 2005). An individual’s ability to effectively manage their emotions is a critical component of positive health and well-being. Here, we evaluated whether one’s self-reported frequency of cognitive reappraisal, an adaptive emotion regulation strategy, predicts nasal cytokine production following experimental rhinovirus exposure. Emotion regulation strategies were assessed at baseline prior to experimental infection. After the baseline assessment, each participant was exposed to a strain of rhinovirus (RV-39) and followed for 5 days in quarantine. Nasal interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and IL-8 and subjective symptoms were assessed at baseline and on each of the 5 days of quarantine. A multilevel analysis of the data for 159 participants with documented infection demonstrated that less frequent use of cognitive reappraisal predicted heightened production of the nasal cytokine composite. Those who self-reported using cognitive reappraisal strategies less frequently displayed elevated nasal IL-6 and IL-8. Among the 63 participants with clinical cold, less frequent use of cognitive reappraisal was associated with heightened production of nasal IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-8. In ancillary analyses, the composite of nasal cytokines was associated with the severity of one’s subjective symptoms across the 5 days. Findings suggest that emotion regulation strategies, particularly cognitive reappraisal, influence illness trajectories during rhinovirus infection.

Economic hardship, positive affect, and marital processes over middle years

Family economic hardship (FEH) can negatively impact the quality of marital relationships, and research has shown that increased distress of husbands and wives at least partially mediates this association. Research has shown that FEH not only increases feelings of distress but also depletes individuals’ positive feelings. The mediating role of positive affect (PA), however, has received less attention. The current study used data from the Iowa Midlife Transitions Project with a sample of 370 married couples providing data from 1991 to 2001. Latent growth curves were estimated for families’ economic hardship and spouses’ PA. Increasing FEH over time generally resulted in the depletion of individuals’ PA after controlling for each spouse’s negative personality characteristics. These growth curves were included in a structural equation model ultimately assessing spouses’ marital quality (MQ). PA trajectories were related to hostile couple context, which was associated with reduced MQ. Findings emphasize the long-term consequences of FEH across middle adulthood on subsequent marital processes through both intra-individual (i.e., PA) and inter-individual (i.e., marital hostility) processes, suggesting that effective prevention and intervention efforts must account for influences at multiple levels and over extended periods of time on MQ. Furthermore, these findings support efforts aiming to strengthen positive psychological resources, rather than reducing psychological distress, as a means to improve MQ.

Marital processes linking economic hardship to mental health: The role of neurotic vulnerability.

Both enduring neurotic vulnerabilities and economic hardship have been shown to negatively influence marital behaviors, which have physical and mental health consequences. However, because most previous research is fragmented and has focused on the early years of marriage or relatively short periods of time, their long-term effects are unclear. Using data from the Iowa Midlife Transitions Project, with a sample of 370 married couples providing data from 1991 to 2001, we assessed enduring personal and couple vulnerabilities, trajectories of family economic hardship, and couples' marital hostility using a comprehensive dyadic model to ascertain their influence on subsequent mental health. Couple marital hostility trajectories and neurotic vulnerabilities (both additively and interactively) were associated with changes in both spouses' depressive symptoms. Results also indicated that couples' marital hostility trajectories link trajectories of family economic hardship to subsequent changes in husbands' and wives' depressive symptoms. Last, associations between economic hardship trajectories, marital hostility trajectories, and depressive symptoms were moderated by couples' neurotic vulnerability as captured by a product term of husbands' and wives' neurotic vulnerability. In general, these associations were amplified for couples with a high level of couple vulnerability and weakened (or altogether absent) for those with a low level of vulnerability. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Language Acculturation, Acculturation-Related Stress, and Marital Quality in Chinese American Couples.

The current study examines the longitudinal indirect pathways linking language acculturation to marital quality. Three waves of data were collected from 416 Chinese American couples over eight years (Mage.wave1 = 48 for husbands, 44 for wives). Actor-partner interdependence model analyses revealed that for both husbands and wives, lower levels of language acculturation were associated with higher levels of stress over being stereotyped as a perpetual foreigner. Individuals' foreigner stress, in turn, was directly related to greater levels of their own and their partners' marital warmth, suggesting that foreigner stress may have some positive relational effects. However, individuals' foreigner stress also was associated with increases in their own depressive symptoms, which predicted higher levels of marital hostility in the partner. Overall, these results underscore the complexity of how language acculturation and foreigner stress relate to marital quality and the importance of considering the interdependence of the marital system.

Adolescents' responses to marital conflict: The role of cooperative marital conflict.

Not all youth exposed to hostile marital interactions develop negative responses to marital conflict. Cooperative marital conflict has long been considered as an important way of managing conflict and may serve as an important context in which hostility might convey during marital interactions. In light of little prior attention placed on the positive side of conflict processes, the main and moderating effects of cooperative marital conflict on youth responses to marital conflict were examined in a sample of 416 2-parent families using a multimethod, 2-year prospective design. Cooperative marital conflict was associated with decreases in youth emotional dysregulation, perceived threat, and behavioral dysregulation, and increases in constructive family representations and coping efficacy. As a specific dimension of cooperation, effective conflict resolution was associated uniquely with elevated youth coping efficacy, and decreased emotional and behavioral dysregulation; marital warmth was associated uniquely with increased constructive family representations. Significant interactions between marital hostility and marital cooperation also were found. These findings highlight the importance of examining cooperation above and beyond hostility in studies of marital conflict in order to better understand youth development during early adolescence. (PsycINFO Database Record

Family hostility and depressive symptoms in middle-aged couples: Moderating effect of marital integration.

This study examined (a) the associations between family hostility (husband-wife marital hostility and child hostility) and middle-aged husbands' and wives' depressive symptoms over an 11-year time period and (b) the moderating influence of couples' marital integration on these associations as measured by their joint activity. Higher order family-level latent constructs captured chronic husband-wife (marital) hostility using husbands' and wives' reports of chronic hostile interactions from 1990 to 1992, while a higher order latent construct of chronic child hostility toward parents was measured using parental reports of children's hostile behaviors from 1990 to 1992. Structural equation modeling with data from 370 families depicted the longitudinal impact of family hostility on depressive symptoms of both husbands and wives in 2001 after accounting for earlier levels of depressive symptoms in 1991. Separate models were fit for couples with high and low levels of marital integration. For couples who experienced low levels of marital integration, chronic marital hostility and child hostility were related to depressive symptoms in husbands and wives. However, for those with high marital integration, these influences were largely diminished. (PsycINFO Database Record

Marital Hostility and Early Adolescents’ Adjustment: The Role of Cooperative Marital Conflict

Although the assertion that marital hostility relates to higher levels of youth adjustment difficulties has been well established, few studies have examined cooperative marital conflict in relation to youth behavior problems. This study examined the main and moderating effects of cooperative marital conflict on youth behavior problems in a sample of 416 two-parent families. Gender differences also were examined. Youth were in the sixth grade (51% females), and ranged in age from 11 to 14 ([Formula: see text] = 11.86, SD = .69). Cooperative marital conflict was associated with lower levels of youth internalizing problems. Cooperative marital conflict was related to daughters’ but not sons’ lower levels of externalizing problems. Cooperative marital conflict also served as a protective factor in the association between marital hostility and youth internalizing problems. These findings highlight the importance of examining cooperative marital conflict above and beyond marital hostility to better understand youth development during early adolescence.

الخصائص السيكومترية لمقياس نوعية العلاقة الزواجية في البيئة الفلسطينية ومستوى جودة الحياة الزواجية للمتزوجين الفلسطينيين = The Psychometric Properties of Marital Quality Scale in the Palestinian Context and the Marital Quality Level of Married Palestinians

جودة الحياة الزواجية | أداء الأسرة لوظائفها | العدائية الزواجية | التفاعل الزواجي | التوافق الزواجي | التحليل العاملي الاستكشافي | التحليل العاملي التوكيدي | Marital Quality | Family Functioning | Marital Hostility | Marital Interaction | Marital Adjustment | Exploratory Factor Analysis | Confirmatory Factor Analysis

Estimating the Roles of Genetic Risk, Perinatal Risk, and Marital Hostility on Early Childhood Adjustment: Medical Records and Self-Reports.

A wide variety of perinatal risk factors have been linked to later developmental outcomes in children. Much of this work has relied on either birth/medical records or mothers' self-reports collected after delivery, and there has been an ongoing debate about which strategy provides the most accurate and reliable data. This report uses a parent-offspring adoption design (N=561 families) to (1) examine the correspondence between medical record data and self-report data, (2) examine how perinatal risk factors may influence child internalizing and externalizing behavior at age 4.5years, and (3) explore interactions among genetic, perinatal risk, and rearing environment on child internalizing and externalizing behavior during early childhood. The agreement of self-reports and medical records data was relatively high (51-100%), although there was some variation based on the construct. There were few main effects of perinatal risk on child outcomes; however, there were several 2- and 3-way interactions suggesting that the combined influences of genetic, perinatal, and rearing environmental risks are important, particularly for predicting whether children exhibit internalizing versus externalizing symptoms at age 4.5years.

Marital Hostility, Hostile Parenting, and Child Aggression: Associations From Toddlerhood to School Age

The spillover hypothesis suggests that childhood aggression results from spillover of interparental conflict to poor parenting, which promotes aggressive child behavior. This study was designed to examine the spillover hypothesis in non-genetically related parent-child dyads from the toddler period through age 6 years. A sample of 361 sets of children, adoptive parents, and birth parents from the Early Growth and Development Study (EGDS) was assessed from child age 9 months to 6 years on measures of adoptive parent financial strain, antisocial traits, marital hostility, hostile parenting, and child aggression. Structural equation modeling was used to examine links from financial strain, parent antisocial traits, and marital hostility in infancy and toddlerhood to hostile parenting and child aggression at ages 4.5 and 6 years. Spillover of marital conflict from child age 18 to 27 months was associated with more parental hostility in mothers and fathers at 27 months. In turn, adoptive fathers' parental hostility, but not mothers', was associated with aggression in children at age 4.5 years. However, there was no significant spillover from hostile parenting at 4.5 years to child aggression at 6 years. Birth mother antisocial traits were unassociated with child aggression. This study is the first to examine spillover of marital hostility to parenting to child aggression from toddlerhood through age 6 years in an adoption design, highlighting the impact of these environmental factors from the toddler to preschool period. The findings support the potential benefit of early identification of marital hostility.

Marital hostility and child sleep problems: direct and indirect associations via hostile parenting.

The current study examined two family process predictors of parent-reported child sleep problems at 4.5 years in an adoption sample: marital hostility and hostile parenting. Participants were 361 linked triads of birth parents, adoptive parents, and adopted children. We examined direct and indirect pathways from marital hostility to child sleep problems via hostile parenting. Mothers' marital hostility at 9 months was associated with child sleep problems at 4.5 years. Fathers' marital hostility at 9 months evidenced an indirect effect on child sleep problems at 4.5 years via fathers' hostile parenting at 27 months. Findings were significant even after controlling for genetic influences on child sleep (i.e., birth parent internalizing disorders). The findings suggest targets for prevention and intervention programs that are potentially modifiable (e.g., hostile parenting, marital hostility), and inform theory by demonstrating that relations among marital hostility, hostile parenting, and child sleep problems are significant after accounting for genetic influences.

"Family functioning and children's adjustment: Associations among parents' depressed mood, marital hostility, parent-child hostility, and children's adjustment": Correction to Low and Stocker (2005).

"Family functioning and children's adjustment: Associations among parents' depressed mood, marital hostility, parent-child hostility, and children's adjustment": Correction to Low and Stocker (2005).

Fathering and mothering in the family system: linking marital hostility and aggression in adopted toddlers

Previous studies have linked marital conflict, parenting, and externalizing problems in early childhood. However, these studies have not examined whether genes account for these links nor have they examined whether contextual factors such as parental personality or financial distress might account for links between marital conflict and parenting. We used an adoption design to allow for a clear examination of environmental impact rather than shared genes of parents and children, and assessments of parental personality and financial strain to assess the effects of context on relationships between marriage and parenting of both mothers and fathers. Participants were 308 adoption-linked families comprised of an adopted child, her/his biological mother (BM), adoptive mother (AM) and adoptive father (AF). BMs were assessed 3-6 and 18 months postpartum and adoptive families were assessed when the child was 18 and 27 months old. Structural equations models were used to examine associations between marital hostility, fathers' and mothers' parenting hostility, and child aggressive behavior at 27 months of age. In addition, the contribution of financial strain and adoptive parent personality traits was examined to determine the associations with the spillover of marital hostility to hostile parenting. A hostile marital relationship was significantly associated with hostile parenting in fathers and mothers, which were associated with aggressive behavior in toddlers. Subjective financial strain was uniquely associated with marital hostility and child aggression. Antisocial personality traits were related to a more hostile/conflicted marital relationship and to hostile parenting. Results clarify mechanisms that may account for the success of early parent-child prevention programs that include a focus on parental economic strain and personality in addition to parent training.

Relation between suicidal ideation and parenting styles among a group of Chilean adolescents

In Chile, there has been an increase in suicide rates from 1.1 to 2.6 per 100,000 among adolescents aged 10 to 14 years and from 4.4 to 8.9 per 100,000 among those aged 15 to 19 years To identify protective factors for suicidal ideation according to parenting styles, as described by Barber et al. The relation between suicidal ideation and parenting styles was assessed in a random sample of 2,346 Chilean school attending adolescents aged 13 to 20 years old (59% women) from three cities: Antofagasta (Northern Chile, II Region), Santiago (Central, Metropolitan Region) and Concepción (Southern, VIII Region). Participants were tested with the Chilean adaptation of the Cross National Adolescents Program (CNAP) Plus questionnaire developed by Barber et al. The relation between suicidal ideation and parenting styles was assessed using regression analyses. Correlations between suicidal ideation and parenting styles were mostly significant, yet weak. High odds ratios were observed among parents who had a strong psychological control, inconsistent control, lack of expression of affection and covered marital hostility. High adolescent self-esteem, a good relationship with parents, psychological parental autonomy, expression of physical affection, social support and paternal monitoring were protective factors against suicidal ideation.