Factors Influencing Children's Appraisals of Interparental Conflict: The Role of Parent-Child Relationship Quality

Selcuk S. U., Isanoglu Z., Sayıl F. M., Sumer N., KAZAK BERUMENT S.

JOURNAL OF FAMILY ISSUES, vol.41, no.11, 2020 (SSCI) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 41 Issue: 11
  • Publication Date: 2020
  • Doi Number: 10.1177/0192513x20910765
  • Journal Name: JOURNAL OF FAMILY ISSUES
  • Journal Indexes: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, CINAHL, EBSCO Education Source, Education Abstracts, Educational research abstracts (ERA), Psycinfo, Public Affairs Index, Social services abstracts, Sociological abstracts, Violence & Abuse Abstracts
  • Keywords: interparental conflict, psychological control, parental warmth, attachment security, self-blame, threat appraisal, MARITAL CONFLICT, EMOTIONAL SECURITY, MIDDLE CHILDHOOD, INFANT-MOTHER, ADJUSTMENT, ATTACHMENT, CONTEXT, FAMILY, ASSOCIATIONS, ADOLESCENTS
  • TED University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

The cognitive contextual model proposes that children's appraisals of interparental conflict (IPC) can influence their adjustment. In addition, previous research revealed that interparental disputes may reflect on parent-child relationship that is linked with children's self-blame and threat appraisals concerning IPC. However, there is a scarcity of research directly addressing the intervening role of the parent-child relationship on children's appraisals of IPC. Thus, we investigated the mediating role of different aspects of the parent-child relationship (i.e., psychological control, warmth, and attachment security) in the link between IPC and self-blame and threat appraisals. Participants were 1,309 children, their mothers, and their fathers. SEM analyses indicated that higher IPC was related to higher parental psychological control and lower child attachment security, which in turn was associated with higher self-blame or threat appraisals. The pattern of relationships was similar across child and parent gender.