Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 11, 2026
07:56
Assessing the Coherence of Parents' Short Narratives Regarding their Child Using the Five-Minute Speech Sample Procedure
Published on: September 19, 2019
Developmental family processes and interparental conflict: patterns of microlevel influences
Alice C Schermerhorn1, Sy-Miin Chow, E Mark Cummings
1Department of Psychology, University of Notre Dame, USA. alscherm@indiana.edu
Developmental Psychology
|July 8, 2010
Summary
Children
Area of Science:
- Family Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Social Psychology
Background:
- Limited empirical research exists on children's effects on families and mutual influence processes.
- Understanding microprocesses within family conflict is crucial for developmental insights.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate children's influence on marital conflict dynamics.
- To examine mutual influence processes between parents during conflict.
- To analyze the interplay between child behavior and marital interactions.
Main Methods:
- 111 cohabiting couples with children aged 8-16 participated.
- Data collected via parents' 15-day conflict diaries.
- Dynamic systems modeling used for data analysis.
Main Results:
- Child emotions and behavior significantly correlated with marital positivity, negativity, and resolution.
- Children's agentic behavior linked to increased marital conflict resolution.
- Child negativity associated with heightened marital negativity.
- Parental self-influence across conflicts observed; marital positivity influenced by conflict frequency.
Conclusions:
- Child behavior and emotions are integral to marital conflict resolution and dynamics.
- Family processes demonstrate complex interdependencies between child and adult functioning.
- Findings advance understanding of developmental family systems and interrelations.
Related Concept Videos
01:23Influence of Parents and Peers on Identity
Adolescence is a pivotal period of identity formation, during which individuals begin to answer questions central to their sense of self, such as "Who am I?" and "Who do I hope to become?" Both parents and peers play critical roles in guiding adolescents through this complex developmental phase.
Parental Influence on Identity Development
Parents serve as primary guides and managers in an adolescent's life, offering support instrumental in decision-making and personal growth. This guiding role...
Parental Influence on Identity Development
Parents serve as primary guides and managers in an adolescent's life, offering support instrumental in decision-making and personal growth. This guiding role...
01:28Relationship with Parents: Attachment
Parent-child interactions lay the foundation for how we understand relationships throughout life. These interactions are not uniform across families; instead, they are shaped by a range of environmental, emotional, and behavioral factors unique to each caregiver-child dynamic. Social psychologists study these early relationships to understand how patterns formed in infancy influence social functioning and interpersonal behavior in adulthood.Attachment Theory and Early Relational ModelsJohn...
01:18Sources of Self-Esteem I: Family Experience
Self-esteem, a crucial component of psychological development, is significantly shaped by familial experiences. The early parent-child relationship serves as a foundational influence on a child's self-concept, with long-lasting effects extending into adolescence and adulthood.Parental Behaviors and Early Self-Esteem FormationEmpirical studies have identified four principal parental behaviors that foster healthy self-esteem in children. These include expressions of acceptance, affection, and...
01:27Parenting Styles
Diana Baumrind's four parenting styles — authoritarian, authoritative, neglectful, and permissive — each influence children's socio-emotional development differently.
Authoritarian Parenting
This style is strict and controlling, with little room for open dialogue. Authoritarian parents demand obedience and often enforce rules with minimal warmth. Children raised this way may lack social skills and initiative, usually comparing themselves to others unfavorably.
Authoritative Parenting
This...
Authoritarian Parenting
This style is strict and controlling, with little room for open dialogue. Authoritarian parents demand obedience and often enforce rules with minimal warmth. Children raised this way may lack social skills and initiative, usually comparing themselves to others unfavorably.
Authoritative Parenting
This...
01:29Relationship with Other Adult Family Members and Siblings
Other adult family members and siblings play a crucial role in shaping children’s social and emotional development. While parents or primary caregivers are often the central figures in early attachment and socialization, other adults in a child’s life, such as grandparents, aunts, and uncles, can significantly influence developmental outcomes. These influences depend on each adult’s personality and may help compensate when a primary caregiver is emotionally distant or inconsistent. For...
01:20Frustration and Conflict: Approach-Approach, Approach-Avoidance
Frustration occurs when people are obstructed or prevented from achieving a desired goal or fulfilling a perceived need. For example, when someone's input is ignored in a discussion, it can lead to feelings of frustration. Conflict, however, arises from opposing interests, goals, or actions. Conflicts can take various forms based on the nature of these opposing desires or goals.
One common type of conflict is the Approach–Approach Conflict. In this case, a person faces two desirable options,...
One common type of conflict is the Approach–Approach Conflict. In this case, a person faces two desirable options,...