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Delineating the developmental sequelae of children's risky involvement in interparental conflict

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 January 2021

Morgan J. Thompson Open the ORCID record for Morgan J. Thompson [Opens in a new window] ,
Patrick T. Davies Open the ORCID record for Patrick T. Davies [Opens in a new window] ,
Rochelle F. Hentges Open the ORCID record for Rochelle F. Hentges [Opens in a new window]  and
Melissa L. Sturge-Apple Open the ORCID record for Melissa L. Sturge-Apple [Opens in a new window]
Morgan J. Thompson*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
Patrick T. Davies
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
Rochelle F. Hentges
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
Melissa L. Sturge-Apple
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
*
Author for Correspondence: Morgan J. Thompson, Department of Psychology, P.O. Box 270266, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, 14627; E-mail: [email protected].
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Abstract

The present study examined the developmental value of parsing different forms of children's risky involvement in interparental conflict as predictors of children's subsequent psychological adjustment. Participants included a diverse sample of 243 preschool children (Mage = 4.6 years) and their mothers across two measurement occasions spaced 2 years apart. Three forms of risky involvement (i.e., cautious, caregiving, and coercive) were identified using maternal narratives describing children's emotional and behavioral reactivity during and immediately following interparental conflict. Utilizing a multimethod, multi-informant design, findings revealed that each form of involvement prospectively predicted unique configurations of children's developmental outcomes. Greater coercive involvement was associated with higher levels of externalizing problems, callous and unemotional traits, and extraversion. Higher levels of caregiving involvement were linked with greater separation anxiety. Finally, cautious involvement predicted more separation anxiety and social withdrawal.

Keywords

childrencopingemotional and behavioral reactivitypsychological adjustmentrisky involvement in interparental conflict
Type
Regular Article
Information
Development and Psychopathology , Volume 34 , Issue 3 , August 2022 , pp. 922 - 935
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press

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