Marital Hostility Research Articles

Exploring Actor and Partner Effects in Associations Between Marriage and Parenting for Mothers and Fathers

Objective. The authors assessed positive and negative qualities of mothers' and fathers' marital interaction behavior in relation to each parent's observed parenting sensitivity, applying the actor–partner interdependence model. Marital behaviors expressed (actor effects) and marital behaviors experienced (partner effects) were distinguished to explore spillover processes between marriage and parenting for mothers and fathers. Design. Positive and negative marital interaction behaviors of 70 mothers and fathers were rated from observations of a discussion task when children were in first grade. Parental sensitivity was represented by a latent factor derived from observational ratings of mother–child and father–child interactions in Grades 1, 3, and 5. Results. Experiences of marital hostility and marital withdrawal from their spouse undermined mothers' and fathers' parenting sensitivity (partner effects), controlling for each parent's own marital behaviors (actor effects) and each parent's psychological adjustment. Expressed supportive marital behavior was positively related to mothers' and fathers' own parenting sensitivity (actor effects), controlling for marital behaviors experienced and the parent's psychological adjustment. Conclusions. Partner effects for negative marital behaviors and actor effects for positive marital behaviors insinuate associations between marriage and parenting. Predictions from marital qualities to parenting are similar for mothers and fathers.

Tracking Marital Adjustment, Hostility, and Physical Functioning Across Time in a Therapy Population: A Biopsychosocial Model

In this study we sought to explore the biopsychosocial connections between relational adjustment, hostility, and physical functioning of individuals who attended psychotherapy. Assessments were given at therapy intake, 6 months post intake, and 12 months after therapy intake. Path analyses between relational adjustment, hostility, and physical functioning revealed a good fit to the data. Results indicated that therapy may interrupt the relationship between hostility at intake and later marital satisfaction. Individuals’ ability to function physically day to day at 6 months post therapy intake contributed to increased marital adjustment 12 months after intake. Clinical implications are discussed.

Longitudinal pathways from marital hostility to child anger during toddlerhood: Genetic susceptibility and indirect effects via harsh parenting.

We examined direct and indirect pathways from marital hostility to toddler anger/frustration via harsh parenting and parental depressive symptoms, with an additional focus on the moderating role of genetic influences as inferred from birth parent anger/frustration. Participants were 361 linked triads of birth mothers, adoptive parents, and adopted children who were 9 (T1) and 18 (T2) months old across the study period. Results indicated an indirect effect from T1 marital hostility to T2 toddler anger/frustration via T2 parental harsh discipline. Results also indicated that the association between marital hostility and toddler anger was moderated by birth mother anger/frustration. For children whose birth mothers reported high levels of anger/frustration, adoptive parents' marital hostility at T1 predicted toddler anger/frustration at T2. This relation did not hold for children whose birth mothers reported low levels of anger/frustration. The results suggest that children whose birth mothers report elevated frustration might inherit an emotional lability that makes them more sensitive to the effects of marital hostility.

Conflict resolution in the parent–child, marital, and peer contexts and children’s aggression in the peer group: A process-oriented cultural perspective.

Theories of socialization propose that children's ability to handle conflicts is learned at home through mechanisms of participation and observation-participating in parent-child conflict and observing the conflicts between parents. We assessed modes of conflict resolution in the parent-child, marriage, and peer-group contexts among 141 Israeli and Palestinian families and their 1st-born toddler. We observed the ecology of parent-child conflict during home visits, the couple's discussion of marital conflicts, and children's conflicts with peers as well as aggressive behavior at child care. Israeli families used more open-ended tactics, including negotiation and disregard, and conflict was often resolved by compromise, whereas Palestinian families tended to consent or object. During marital discussions, Israeli couples showed more emotional empathy, whereas Palestinians displayed more instrumental solutions. Modes of conflict resolution across contexts were interrelated in culture-specific ways. Child aggression was predicted by higher marital hostility, more coparental undermining behavior, and ineffective discipline in both cultures. Greater family compromise and marital empathy predicted lower aggression among Israeli toddlers, whereas more resolution by consent predicted lower aggression among Palestinians. Considering the cultural basis of conflict resolution within close relationships may expand understanding on the roots of aggression.

A process model of adolescents' triangulation into parents' marital conflict: The role of emotional reactivity.

This study examined adolescents' emotional reactivity to parents' marital conflict as a mediator of the association between triangulation and adolescents' internalizing problems in a sample of 2-parent families (N = 416)[corrected]. Four waves of annual, multiple-informant data were analyzed (youth ages 11-15 years). The authors used structural equation modeling and found that triangulation was associated with increases in adolescents' internalizing problems, controlling for marital hostility and adolescent externalizing problems. There also was an indirect pathway from triangulation to internalizing problems across time through youths' emotional reactivity. Moderating analyses indicated that the 2nd half of the pathway, the association between emotional reactivity and increased internalizing problems, characterized youth with lower levels of hopefulness and attachment to parents. The findings help detail why triangulation is a risk factor for adolescents' development and which youth will profit most from interventions focused on emotional regulation.

Moderators of the link between marital hostility and change in spouses’ depressive symptoms.

This study examined the moderating roles of marital warmth and recent life events in the association between observed marital hostility and changes in spouses' depressive symptoms over 3 years. Using the actor-partner interdependence model (APIM), structural equation models (N = 416 couples) suggested that husbands' marital hostility was significantly related to increases in wives' depressive symptoms. Moderator analyses showed that husbands' warmth and wives' warmth moderate the association between marital hostility and change in wives' depressive symptoms. The association between husbands' hostility and increases in wives' depressive symptoms was stronger under conditions of lower levels of husbands' warmth than under conditions of higher levels of husbands' warmth. This same pattern was found for wives' warmth. Regarding life events, the association between wives' hostility and increases in husbands' depressive symptoms was stronger for couples with more recent life events than for couples with fewer recent life events. Practical and empirical implications are discussed.

Associations between Siblings' Differential Family Experiences and Differences in Psychological Adjustment

The goal of this paper was to further our understanding of adolescents’ adjustment by studying multiple components of siblings’ unique family environments using the difference score methodology. Self-report data about marital conflict, parent-child hostility and adolescents’ adjustment were obtained from 114 sibling pairs (mean ages = 14 and 16 years) and their parents. Results indicated that adolescents who had higher appraisals of self-blame for marital conflict than their siblings also had more hostile parent-child relationships than their siblings. In addition, siblings’ differential experiences of their family environments were associated with differences in siblings’ externalizing, but not internalizing, problems. When considered together, differences in parent-child hostility, appraisals of self-blame and exposure to marital conflict predicted independent variance in differences in siblings’ externalizing problems. Results are discussed in the context of using difference scores as a method to study siblings’ unique experiences.

Prospective associations from family-of-origin interactions to adult marital interactions and relationship adjustment.

To test the social learning-based hypothesis that marital conflict resolution patterns are learned in the family of origin, longitudinal, observational data were used to assess prospective associations between family conflict interaction patterns during adolescence and offspring's later marital conflict interaction patterns. At age 14 years, 47 participants completed an observed family conflict resolution task with their parents. In a subsequent assessment 17 years later, the participants completed measures of marital adjustment and an observed marital conflict interaction task with their spouse. As predicted, levels of hostility and positive engagement expressed by parents and adolescents during family interactions were prospectively linked with levels of hostility and positive engagement expressed by offspring and their spouses during marital interactions. Family-of-origin hostility was a particularly robust predictor of marital interaction behaviors; it predicted later marital hostility and negatively predicted positive engagement, controlling for psychopathology and family-of-origin positive engagement. For men, family-of-origin hostility also predicted poorer marital adjustment, an effect that was mediated through hostility in marital interactions. These findings suggest a long-lasting influence of family communication patterns, particularly hostility, on offspring's intimate communication and relationship functioning.

Adolescents' Cognitive and Emotional Responses to Marital Hostility

Early adolescents' (11-14 years) responses to marital hostility were examined in a sample of 416 families. The cognitive-contextual perspective and emotional security hypothesis guided the study and 9 adolescent responses were identified. Prospective associations were examined in several structural equation models that included adolescent problems as outcomes. Self-blame and perceived threat uniquely mediated the association between Year 1 marital hostility and Year 3 adolescent externalizing problems (p<.05). Self-blame, lower constructive representations, internalization of feelings, avoidance, and emotional dysregulation uniquely mediated the association between Year 1 marital hostility and Year 3 internalizing problems. Specific cognitive and emotionally based responses are important to understanding how martial hostility affects youth and need to be considered within an integrated model.

A family process model of marital hostility, parental depressive affect, and early adolescent problem behavior: The roles of triangulation and parental warmth.

This study examined a family process model of early adolescent problem behavior in a community sample of 416 two-parent families. With family systems theory, a model was developed that suggests (a) marital hostility and parental depressive affect are conjoint familial stressors for youths, (b) youth triangulation mediates the association between marital hostility and adolescent problems, and (c) parental warmth buffers the negative effects of parental depressive affect and youth triangulation. With structural equation modeling, youth-perceived triangulation mediated the association between marital hostility and adolescent internalizing problems. Marital hostility was associated with externalizing problems. Mothers' depressive affect was associated with internalizing problems, and fathers' depressive affect was associated with internalizing and externalizing problems. Parental warmth was not a significant moderator.

Longitudinal associations between hostility in adolescents' family relationships and friendships and hostility in their romantic relationships.

This study examined longitudinal predictors of hostility in adolescents' romantic relationships. The sample included 110 adolescents and their parents from 72 families. Observational measures of parents' marital hostility and parent-child hostility and self-reports of hostility in close friendships were collected when adolescents ranged from 14 to 16 years old. Three years later, when they were 17 to 19 years old, adolescents reported on the hostility in their romantic relationships. Results indicated that hostility in parents' marital relationships and in adolescents' friendships accounted for independent variance in hostility in adolescents' later romantic relationships. Results highlight the importance of both family relationships and friendships for predicting hostility in adolescents' romantic relationships over time.

Can Spouses Provide Knowledge of Each Other's Communication Patterns? A Study of Self‐Reports, Spouses' Reports, and Observational Coding

The purposes of this study were (1) to assess individuals' self-reports of communication and their reports about their spouses' communication in order to examine the congruence of spousal views and (2) to investigate whether each report provided unique information about observed marital interactions. These associations were evaluated in a sample of 119 longtime married couples. The Verbal Aggression and Cooperation subscales from the Conflicts and Problem-Solving Scales were used as measures of negative and positive aspects of communication. The findings indicated that self-reports of both verbal aggression and cooperation were strongly associated with the same individual's report of his or her spouse's verbal aggression and cooperation. Conversely, self-reports were only moderately associated with reports made by spouses (e.g., the husband's report of his wife's communication). Hence, within-reporter agreement was higher than between-reporter agreement about marital communication. When entered into regression models, reports made by spouses, but not self-reports, explained unique variance in observations of marital hostility and affection. There was one exception: Wife self-report of verbal aggression explained unique variance in coders' ratings of wife hostility, controlling for husband report of wife verbal aggression. Findings indicate the importance of assessing partners' views of one another's communication for the most accurate portrayal of marital interactions. Implications for research and clinical work are discussed.

Hostility and withdrawal in marital conflict: Effects on parental emotional unavailability and inconsistent discipline.

This study examined the nature of pathways between marital hostility and withdrawal, parental disagreements about child rearing issues, and subsequent changes in parental emotional unavailability and inconsistent discipline in a sample of 225 mothers, fathers, and 6-year-old children. Results of autoregressive, structural equation models indicated that marital withdrawal and hostility were associated with increases in parental emotional unavailability over the one-year period, whereas marital hostility and withdrawal did not predict changes in parental inconsistency in discipline. Additional findings supported the role of child rearing disagreements as an intervening or mediating mechanism in links between specific types of marital conflict and parenting practices. Implications for clinicians and therapists working with maritally distressed parents and families are discussed.

Family Functioning and Children's Adjustment: Associations Among Parents' Depressed Mood, Marital Hostility, Parent-Child Hostility, and Children's Adjustment.

Relations between parents' depressed mood, marital conflict, parent-child hostility, and children's adjustment were examined in a community sample of 136 ten-year-olds and their parents. Videotaped observational and self-report data were used to examine these relations in path analyses. A proposed model was tested in which mothers' and fathers' depressed mood and marital hostility were associated with children's adjustment problems through disruptions in parent-child relationships. Results showed that both mothers' and fathers' marital hostility were linked to parent-child hostility, which in turn was linked to children's internalizing problems. Fathers' depressed mood was linked to children's internalizing problems indirectly through father-child hostility. Fathers' depressed mood was directly linked to children's externalizing problems and indirectly linked through father-child hostility. For mothers, marital hostility was directly linked to children's externalizing problems, and marital hostility in fathers was indirectly linked to children's externalizing problems through father-child hostility.

Mother's and father's parental adjustment: Links to externalising behaviour problems in sons and daughters

This study examined links between parents (189 mothers, 153 fathers) adjustment and children's externalising behaviour problems (97 girls; 92 boys) representative of the general population. Structural equation modelling was used to examine models that included “direct” and “indirect” pathways. Externalising behaviour problems in children were strongly related to parental adjustment difficulties. Maternal antisocial behaviour and marital hostility were linked to sons’ and daughters’ externalising behaviour problems via dysfunctional child-rearing practices. Maternal antisocial behaviour, however, was not fully mediated by dysfunctional parenting. For fathers, the pattern related to externalising problems in sons was as those specified for mothers. The pattern did not appear relevant for daughters. Results are discussed in terms of the importance of adjustment patterns with regard to the sex composition of the parent-child dyads.

Linking Economic Stress to Marital Quality Among Finnish Marital Couples

Structural equation modeling was used to test the mediators of economic circumstances on marital quality using a sample of married or cohabiting 36-year-old Finnish men ( n = 133) and women ( n = 117). The model tested was an adapted version of the model presented by Conger, Ge, and Lorenz. For the men, the results were consistent with the proposed model: Poor employment status caused economic strain and affected the lives of the men to the extent that current economic strain increased expected financial strain, leading to greater depression and greater hostility in the marriage, both of which, in turn, predicted poor marital quality. For the women, poor economic circumstances and, in particular, an unstable career line had direct effects on depression, marital hostility, and poor marital quality. The sex differences are related to the different roles played by economic matters and careers in men's and women's lives.

Work-Family Conflict and Marital Quality: Mediating Processes

Stress caused by conflict between work and home demands has long been thought to have an adverse influence on family life. Using a sample of 337 couples derived from a longitudinal study offamilies living in the rural midwest, this study examines the influence of work-family conflict on marital quality and marital stability as it is mediated through psychological distress and quality of marital interaction. We conducted analyses using structural equation modeling procedures, and attempted to control method-variance biases through the use of multiple informants and multiple methods. Results showed that work-family conflict resulting from husbands' and wives' employment is related positively to the psychological distress of each, and that psychological distress affects marital outcomes both directly and indirectly through its association with greater marital hostility and less marital warmth and supportiveness.

Spillover effects of marital conflict: in search of parenting and coparenting mechanisms.

Marital hostility is linked to the father's rejecting parenting, which predicts children's aggressive peer play; the husband's emotional withdrawal from the marriage is linked to the mother's rejecting parenting, which predicts children's internalizing behavior. Deficits in children's behavioral and physiological regulation of emotion are one mechanism by which the father's rejection is associated with aggressive peer relations.

Vagal tone protects children from marital conflict

AbstractIn a previous article we reported linkages between marital hostility and children's externalizing behavior problems (Katz &amp; Gottman, 1993). In this paper we examined whether individual differences in children's ability to regulate emotion (as indexed by vagal tone, a physiological measure of parasympathetic nervous system activity) could buffer children from the deleterious effects of marital hostility. Observational data was collected on 56 families during marital interaction when the children were 5 years-old. Baseline recordings of children's cardiac interbeat interval were also obtained for computations of vagal tone. Teacher ratings of children's behavior problems were obtained 3 years later when the children were on average 8 years old. Results indicated that children with low vagal tone showed a strong link between the amount of marital hostility displayed by their parents and subsequent displays of children's externalizing behavior. There was no relationship between marital hostility and children's externalizing for children with high vagal tone, suggesting that high vagal tone can buffer children from the negative effects of marital hostility.

Hostile Interparental Conflict and Youth Maladjustment

Key words: coparental relationship, marital conflict, marital hostility, youth maladjustment. Frequent and/or intense hostile conflict between parents often is associated with a range of indicators of youth maladjustment, including externalizing problems, internalizing problems, and poor academic performance (see Fauber, Forehand, Thomas, & Wierson, 1990; Grych, Seid, & Fincham, 1992; Guidubaldi, Cleminshaw, Perry, Nastasi, & Lightel, 1986; Katz & Gottman, 1993; Tschann, Johnston, Kline, & Wallerstein, 1989). To the contrary, interparental disagreement, controlling for a hostile conflict style, seems to be unrelated to or only weakly related to youth maladjustment (Buehler & Trotter, 1990). Accordingly, this article addresses the question How does a hostile interparental conflict style affect youth maladjustment? Relevant literature is organized into three different types of explanations: direct effects, mediating effects, and moderating effects. Practice implications for each explanation are discussed, and we conclude with general suggestions for future research. Youth maladjustment is defined as the relative inability of youth to engage successfully and appropriately in interpersonal relationships and in work, play, and academic activities over time with relative freedom from noxious social behaviors and burdensome emotions (Trotter, 1989). This definition is focused on the youth's ability to match emotional and behavioral responses to demands across time, people, and settings (Lorian, Cowen, & Caldwell, 1975). Maladjustment is a multidimensional construct, but we limit the discussion to three dimensions: externalizing behavior problems (e.g., aggression, hyperactivity, delinquency), internalizing behavior problems (e.g., depression, anxiety, withdrawal), and academic failure. These three dimensions of maladjustment were selected because they are important youth outcomes and generally seem to be influenced by hostile interparental conflict (Fauber et al., 1990; Guidubaldi et al., 1986). The concept of interparental conflict is broad and has been used in different ways by various researchers. Many researchers have not distinguished between conflict and conflict management strategies/styles. This distinction is important empirically and in practice (Cummings & Davies, 1994). Accordingly, we define interparental conflict as disagreements between parents about various issues in family life. In terms of conflict management, four styles of behaviors are overt hostile strategies (verbal and physical), covert hostile strategies, cooperative strategies, and avoidant strategies (Ahrons, 1981; Buehler & Trotter, 1990; Camara & Resnick, 1988). Each of these styles may have at least six subdimensions: frequency, intensity, mode of expression, chronicity, content, and degree of resolution (Cummings, Simpson, & Wilson, 1993; Fincham & Osborne, 1993; Grych & Fincham, 1990). A thorough review of the literature on the effects of interparental conflict and youth maladjustment should consider each of these subdimensions of conflict management strategies. We attempt to be sensitive to these distinctions by noting differential effects when possible. However, most researchers have not distinguished among these subdimensions--most focus on frequency--and therefore the data are limited or unavailable. Germane to this review, interparental disagreements about child-rearing issues seem to be only weakly related to youth maladjustment (Buehler & Trotter, 1990), and very few studies have examined the effects of either covert, cooperative, or avoidant styles of conflict management on youth maladjustment (for exceptions, see Camara & Resnick, 1988; Tschann et al., 1989). Thus, to examine explanations of how interparental conflict affects youth maladjustment, we focus on overt hostile conflict styles between parents. Overt hostile behaviors include yelling, screaming, threatening, slapping, and hitting. …