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Inter-parental conflict and children's academic attainment: a longitudinal analysis
Gordon T Harold1, Jessica J Aitken, Katherine H Shelton
1School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK. Harold@cf.ac.uk
Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, and Allied Disciplines
|December 21, 2007
Summary
Children experiencing high inter-parental conflict may suffer academically. Self-blaming attributions, not negative parenting, explain lower academic attainment in these children.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Child Psychology
- Educational Psychology
Background:
- Previous research links inter-parental conflict to children's psychological development.
- Studies often focus on internalizing/externalizing problems, neglecting academic attainment.
- This study examines inter-parental conflict's impact on academic achievement in UK schoolchildren.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the longitudinal impact of inter-parental conflict on children's academic attainment.
- To explore the mediating role of children's perceptions and attributions in this relationship.
- To extend understanding beyond traditional psychological adaptation measures.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study of 230 UK schoolchildren (ages 11-13).
- Data collected at three time points (1999-2001).
- Structural equation modeling used to test the theoretical model, controlling for initial aggression.
Main Results:
- Children's self-blaming attributions for parental conflict significantly predicted lower academic attainment.
- Negative parenting behavior did not emerge as a significant mediator.
- The findings highlight attributional processes as key.
Conclusions:
- Children's self-blaming attributions are a crucial mechanism linking inter-parental conflict to academic underachievement.
- Intervention programs should consider addressing children's attributional processes.
- Understanding these processes is vital for supporting long-term academic success in children exposed to conflict.
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