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The interparental relationship and family problem solving with preadolescent males

S Vuchinich1, R Vuchinich, B Wood

  • 1Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis 97331.

Child Development
|October 1, 1993
PubMed

Insights

Parental agreement improves family problem-solving, but strong parental coalitions can hinder it, especially for preadolescent sons. This impacts child outcomes through family dynamics.

Area of Science:

  • Family Psychology
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Child Psychology

Background:

  • The interparental relationship quality significantly influences family functioning.
  • Understanding how parental dynamics affect child development is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the associations between interparental relationship quality and family problem-solving effectiveness.
  • To investigate the longitudinal impact of parental agreement and coalitions on preadolescent males' family interactions.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal study of 68 family triads (mother, father, preadolescent son).
  • Regression analysis assessed marital satisfaction, parental agreement, conflict, and coalitions.
  • Controlled for family structure and child externalizing behaviors.

Main Results:

  • Parental agreement consistently facilitated family problem solving.
  • Strong parental coalitions inhibited family problem solving, potentially due to preadolescent male autonomy needs.
  • Stepfamilies showed less effective problem solving initially.

Conclusions:

  • Parental agreement benefits child outcomes through improved family problem solving.
  • Parental coalitions can negatively impact family problem solving, especially when perceived as against the preadolescent son.
  • Family psychology research should consider the nuanced effects of parental dynamics on children.

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