Interrelatedness of marital relations and parent-child relations: A meta-analytic review.

It is widely assumed that a linkage, crucial to the understanding of child behavior, exists between marital and parent–child relationship quality. A meta-analysis of 68 studies was conducted to determine whether this linkage exists and, if so, whether the linkage is positive (as suggested by the spillover hypothesis) or negative (as suggested by the compensatory hypothesis). Results supported the spillover hypothesis; a positive and nonhomogeneous effect size of moderate magnitude was found (d?=?0.46). This suggests that research in this area can move beyond the question of whether a positive or negative association exists to identifying moderators of the association. Examination of the impact of 13 potential moderators did not support the existence of any of these variables that could be adequately examined. This suggests that the link between marital and parent–child relations functions as a more stable force than previously thought. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Longitudinal relations between marital aggression and alcohol problems.

Relations between couples' (N = 158) marital aggression and alcohol problems were examined across a two-year period. Alcohol problems and aggression were assessed via self-report and partner-reports. Results support bidirectional relations between marital aggression and problem drinking. T1 wife problem drinking was associated with decreased T2 verbal aggression; T1 husband problem drinking was associated with increased T2 physical aggression. T1 physical aggression predicted increased T2 wife problem drinking; it predicted increased T2 husband problem drinking only when wife problem drinking was low. T1 verbal marital aggression predicted increased T2 husband problem drinking only when husbands engaged in greater problem drinking at T1. Results suggest that problem drinking may prevent couples from adequately handling marital disagreements, and that marital problems may lead to drinking as a form of coping with stress; couples in which the husband engages in greater problem drinking than the wife may be at increased risk. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of marital and parent-child relations on children's adjustment.

Investigated the effects of marital dissatisfaction, marital conflict, and the parent–child relationship on the childhood adjustment of 30 boys and 26 girls (aged 6–14 yrs) in 47 nonclinic families. In support of previous findings, results of a battery of tests show a strong relationship between mothers' marital satisfaction and conflict style and their own ratings of boys' adjustment. However, based on fathers' and children's reports, marital satisfaction and conflict style did not contribute unique variance over the parent–child relationship in predicting children's adjustment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Child development and education.

Discusses some of the educational implications of child development concepts and findings, particularly those of Piaget and his followers. Specific issues discussed include (a) the problem of externalization and how it hinders adult understanding of children's learning; (b) the several modes of learning and the importance of the neglected mode, connotative learning; and (c) the role of aesthetics in education and the argument that aesthetic satisfaction is inherent in the construction of satisfying meanings. It is concluded that there is no learning, no education without work, play, and aesthetic appreciation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Child development and emergent literacy

Emergent literacy consists of the skills, knowledge, and attitudes that are developmental precursors to reading and writing. This article offers a preliminary typology of children's emergent literacy skills, a review of the evidence that relates emergent literacy to reading, and a review of the evidence for linkage between children's emergent literacy environments and the development of emergent literacy skills. We propose that emergent literacy consists of at least two distinct domains: inside-out skills (e.g., phonological awareness, letter knowledge) and outside-in skills (e.g., language, conceptual knowledge). These different domains are not the product of the same experiences and appear to be influential at different points in time during reading acquisition. Whereas outside-in skills are associated with those aspects of children's literacy environments typically measured, little is known about the origins of inside-out skills. Evidence from interventions to enhance emergent literacy suggests that relatively intensive and multifaceted interventions are needed to improve reading achievement maximally. A number of successful preschool interventions for outside-in skills exist, and computer-based tasks designed to teach children inside-out skills seem promising. Future research directions include more sophisticated multidimensional examination of emergent literacy skills and environments, better integration with reading research, and longer-term evaluation of preschool interventions. Policy implications for emergent literacy intervention and reading education are discussed.     

Role of marital quality in toddler development.

Examined associations among contemporaneous measures of marital quality, parenting attitudes and behavior, and toddler development in 75 2-parent families with a 20-mo-old child. Child–mother and child–father attachment was assessed in the Strange Situation procedure, and child task behavior was rated during a problem-solving task. Parents completed the Dyadic Adjustment Scale and questionnaires concerning parenting attitudes and perceptions. Independent observations were conducted for parental behavioral sensitivity and couple marital harmony. Findings support the hypothesis that good marital quality would be associated with optimal toddler functioning and sensitive parenting. The magnitude of effect was greater for marriage–parenting associations than for marriage–child associations. Differences in patterns of intercorrelation for mothers and fathers were found and direct and indirect associations between marital quality, parenting, and child development are discussed. (36 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Longitudinal relations between marital conflict and child adjustment: Vagal regulation as a protective factor.

Although associations between marital conflict and children's adjustment problems are established, less is known about child individual differences that can have an impact on these relations. The authors examined longitudinal relations between marital conflict and children's adjustment using a community sample of elementary school-age children and young adolescents and assessed the role of children's vagal regulation in moderating the conflict-child problems link. Elevated marital conflict was predictive of negative child outcomes, and greater vagal suppression to a simulated argument was protective against internalizing problems associated with marital conflict. Findings are supportive of the value of a biopsychosocial perspective and illustrate that child vagal regulation can contribute to the aggregation or amelioration of risk for maladjustment in the context of exposure to marital conflict. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Child maltreatment history among newlywed couples: A longitudinal study of marital outcomes and mediating pathways.

Participants included 202 newlywed couples who reported retrospectively about child maltreatment experiences (sexual abuse, physical abuse, psychological abuse, and neglect) and whose marital functioning was assessed 3 times over a 2-year period. Decreased marital satisfaction at T1 was predicted by childhood physical abuse, psychological abuse, and neglect for husbands; only neglect predicted lower satisfaction for wives. Increased maltreatment of various types was also related to T1 difficulties with marital trust and partner aggression. Dyadic growth curve analyses showed that the marital difficulties reported at T1 tended to remain over the course of the study. Further, in several instances, maltreatment exerted an increasingly detrimental influence on marital functioning over time, particularly for husbands. Examination of possible mediators between maltreatment and reductions in marital satisfaction revealed pathways through decreased sexual activity, increased psychological aggression, and increased trauma symptoms reported by husbands. These findings suggest that clinicians should consider how an adult’s history of child maltreatment may contribute to current marital dysfunction. The authors also identify possible targets for intervention when working with this population. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social support, conflict, and the development of marital dysfunction.

How spouses help each other contend with personal difficulties is an unexplored but potentially important domain for understanding how marital distress develops. Newly married couples participated in 2 interaction tasks: a problem-solving task in which spouses discussed a marital conflict and a social support task in which spouses discussed personal, nonmarital difficulties. Observational coding of these interactions showed that wives' support solicitation and provision behaviors predicted marital outcomes 2 years later, independent of negative behaviors during marital problem-solving discussions. In addition, couples who exhibited relatively poor skills in both behavioral domains were at particular risk for later marital dysfunction. These results suggest that social support exchanges should be incorporated into social learning analyses of marriage and into programs designed to prevent marital distress. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Aggressive marital conflict, maternal harsh punishment, and child aggressive-disruptive behavior: Evidence for direct and mediated relations.

Direct associations between aggressive marital conflict and child aggressive-disruptive behavior at home and school were explored in this cross-sectional study of 360 kindergarten children. In addition, mediated pathways linking aggressive marital conflict to maternal harsh punishment to child aggressive-disruptive behavior were examined. Moderation analyses explored how the overall frequency of marital disagreement might buffer or exacerbate the impact of aggressive marital conflict on maternal harsh punishment and child aggressive-disruptive behavior. Hierarchical regressions revealed direct pathways linking aggressive marital conflict to child aggressive-disruptive behavior at home and school and a partially mediated pathway linking aggressive marital conflict to child aggressive-disruptive behavior at home. Further analyses revealed that rates of marital disagreement moderated the association between aggressive marital conflict and child aggressive-disruptive behavior at home, with an attenuated association at high rates of marital disagreement as compared with low rates of marital disagreement. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Neuroticism, marital interaction, and the trajectory of marital satisfaction.

Theories of how initially satisfied marriages deteriorate or remain stable over time have been limited by a failure to distinguish between key facets of change. The present study defines the trajectory of marital satisfaction in terms of 2 separate parameters—(a) the initial level of satisfaction and (b) the rate of change in satisfaction over time—and seeks to estimate unique effects on each of these parameters with variables derived from intrapersonal and interpersonal models of marriage. Sixty newlywed couples completed measures of neuroticism, were observed during a marital interaction, and provided reports of marital satisfaction every 6 months for 4 years. Neuroticism was associated with initial levels of marital satisfaction but had no additional effects on rates of change. Behavior during marital interaction predicted rates of change in marital satisfaction but was not associated with initial levels. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Object relations development and psychotherapy dropout in borderline outpatients.

Used Rorschach object relations measures to identify patterns of object representations in borderline outpatients that would distinguish those at risk for premature termination from those likely to continue in expressive psychodynamic psychotherapy. Existing data from the Borderline Psychotherapy Research Project (O. Kernberg et al, 1989) were used. Ss were 12 women, aged 21–39 yrs, with borderline personality disorder. Ss who dropped out showed a predominance of narcissistic themes in their Rorschach responses at the outset of treatment, as scored by the Rorschach Separation-Individuation Scale (S-I Scale), and produced almost 4 times as many narcissism as rapprochement themes on the S-I Scale as Ss who continued treatment. Overall findings lend support to the salience of developmental themes related to separation-individuation within the population of borderline patients. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Unintended effects of marital research on marital relationships.

Psychologists studying marriage have little guidance in understanding and controlling the unintended effects of their research procedures. To address this problem, spouses were asked to report their reactions to participating in a laboratory session and a mail survey. Most Ss reported being affected by research participation, yet most of the effects were positive and involved Ss' heightened awareness of their marriages. In a 2nd study, spouses answered questions before and after discussing a marital problem in a lab setting. Ss often reported feeling anxious about the task, but many Ss noted that the controlled setting enhanced their discussion. Negative responses to research participation were made by 3–5% of the Ss in both studies. Seven recommendations are made based on these findings for protecting the welfare of Ss who participate in research on close relationships. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Personality and compatibility: A prospective analysis of marital stability and marital satisfaction.

The antecedents of marital stability (divorce or remaining married) and marital satisfaction (within the group that remains married) were investigated with a panel of 300 White couples who were followed from their engagements in the 1930's until 1980. 22 of the couples broke their engagements; of the 278 couples who married, 50 got divorced between 1935 and 1980. Personality characteristics (measured by acquaintance ratings made in the 1930's) were important predictors of both marital stability and marital satisfaction. The 3 aspects of personality most strongly related to marital outcome were the neuroticism of the husband, the neuroticism of the wife, and the impulse control of the husband. The remaining variance was accounted for by attitudinal, social-environment, and sexual history variables. (29 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Self-disclosure and marital satisfaction.

Examined the effect of self-disclosure on marital satisfaction in couples and also introduced attitude similarity as a possible predictor of marital satisfaction. 51 couples (mean age 30.6 yrs) completed 5 test instruments, including a self-disclosure scale, 2 marriage satisfaction scales, an attitude survey, and a demographic questionnaire. Results (1) revealed high reciprocity between spouses on most measures, (2) found a consistent positive relationship between self-disclosure and marital satisfaction, (3) substantiated self-disclosure as a significant predictor of marital satisfaction, and (4) demonstrated that attitude similarity had a strong positive relationship to marital satisfaction. Findings provide a firm basis for self-disclosure and attitude similarity as important predictors of marital satisfaction. (28 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Home environment and development of slow-learning adolescents: Reciprocal relations.

Investigated the reciprocal relation between the home environment and the development of 148 7–14 yr old slow-learners longitudinally over a 3-yr period. Annual assessments of the home environment included childrearing attitudes, educationally relevant stimuli and opportunities, and psychosocial climate and environmental press of the home. Main caregivers (usually mothers) were administered the Henderson Environmental Learning Process Scale and the Family Environment Scale. Measures of the Ss' development included social competency, psychosocial adjustment, and self-concept. Partial correlation and hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed significant influence of environmental stimulation, both cognitive and social, on the Ss' subsequent cognitive development and social adjustment. Harmony and quality of parenting, and educational expectation and aspiration were the 2 most salient environmental variables associated with the Ss' development. The study also demonstrated significant influence of the Ss' psychosocial adjustment on subsequent changes in the home environment including psychosocial climate of the home, family adjustment, and the parents' educational expectations and aspirations. (43 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Child responses to parental conflict and their effect on adjustment: A study of triadic relations.

The purpose of this study was to examine child response patterns to parental conflict and assess their contribution to child functioning. The focus was on 3 potential child responses and their relation to later depressive and aggressive behavior. Direct observations and questionnaire data were collected on 156 2-parent families. Aggressive behavior showed the strongest sequential relation to interparental conflict and the strongest predictive relation to increased aggressive functioning. Gender differences were found in the use of child aggressive response patterns. Results for the relation between child responses and increases in depressive functioning were weaker than those found for aggressive functioning. The results provide support for the examination of child response patterns as a potentially rich area of exploration for understanding the family mechanisms affecting both aggressive and depressive functioning in children. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relationships among sexual satisfaction, marital quality, and marital instability at midlife.

Sexual satisfaction, marital quality, and marital instability have been studied over the life course of couples in many previous studies, but less in relation to each other. On the basis of the longitudinal data from 283 married couples, the authors used autoregressive models in this study to examine the causal sequences among these 3 constructs for husbands and wives separately. Results of cross-lagged models, for both husbands and wives, provided support for the causal sequences that proceed from sexual satisfaction to marital quality, from sexual satisfaction to marital instability, and from marital quality to marital instability. Initially higher levels of sexual satisfaction resulted in an increase in marital quality, which in turn led to a decrease in marital instability over time. Effects of sexual satisfaction on marital instability appear to have been mediated through marital quality. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)