Development of Negative Emotionality in Mothers Across 18 Years: Does Relationship Breakup Matter?

Area of Science:

• Developmental psychology
• Family studies
• Longitudinal research

Background:

• Negative emotionality (NE) generally declines with age.
• Limited understanding exists on how divorce and social roles influence NE development in mothers post-parenthood transition.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the long-term effects of divorce and social role experiences on the development of NE in mothers.
• To examine how relationship status changes predict NE trajectories over 18 years.

Main Methods:

• Utilized an 18-year longitudinal study with eight data collection waves.
• Included 823 mothers cohabiting with their child's father at baseline.
• Employed mixed models and Random Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Models for analysis.

Main Results:

• A significant decrease in NE was observed over the 18-year study period.
• Mothers experiencing relationship dissolution showed a steeper NE decline compared to those remaining partnered.
• Relationship breakups characterized by high problem levels resulted in the steepest NE decline; having numerous children was linked to less NE decrease.

Conclusions:

• While NE decrease is not solely dictated by social roles, certain experiences modulate its magnitude.
• Findings suggest an interconnectedness between NE decline and evolving social roles among mothers.