Interparental conflict as a quadratic predictor of children's reactivity to interparental conflict and school adjustment: Steeling effects or risk saturation?. Issue 2 (11th December 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Davies, Patrick T.; Thompson, Morgan J.; Hentges, Rochelle F.; Parry, Lucia Q.; Sturge‐Apple, Melissa L.
• Is Part Of: Child development. Volume 93:Issue 2(2022)
• Page Start: 594
• Page End: 611
• Publication Date: 2021-12-11
• Subjects: Child development -- Periodicals; Child psychology -- Periodicals; Child Development -- Periodicals; Child Development; Pediatrics -- Periodicals; Pedicatrics; 305.231
• DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13720
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0009-3920

Abstract

Abstract: This study examined interparental conflict as a curvilinear predictor of children's reactivity to interparental conflict and, in turn, their school problems across three annual measurements. Participants included 243 preschool children ( M age = 4.60 years; 56% girls) and their parents from racially (e.g., 48% Black; 16% Latinx) diverse backgrounds. Interparental conflict was a significant quadratic predictor of children's emotional reactivity ( β = .23) and behavioral dysregulation ( β = .27) to conflict over a 1‐year period. The robust association between interparental conflict and behavioral dysregulation weakened at high levels of interparental conflict. In contrast, interparental conflict more strongly predicted children's emotional reactivity as conflict exposure increased. Children's emotional reactivity, in turn, predicted their greater school problems 1 year later ( β = .25).