Citation

Du Rocher Schudlich TD, White CR, Fleischhauer EA, Fitzgerald KA. J. Marriage Fam. 2011; 73(1): 221-235.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, National Council on Family Relations, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/j.1741-3737.2010.00800.x

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Associations between interparental conflict and infant reactions were examined. Infants' history of exposure to interparental conflict and infant reactive temperament were examined as moderators. A community sample of 74 infants, aged 6–14 months, participated with their parents. Behavioral observations were made of parents' marital conflict and their infants' reactions. Parents reported on their emotional states during conflict, infants' history of exposure to interparental conflict, and infant temperament. Multilevel modeling indicated that infants showed differential responses to marital conflict; destructive and depressive conflict were associated with increased infant discussion attending and negative reactions, whereas constructive conflict was associated with decreased discussion attending and negative reactions. Infants' history of exposure to marital conflict and infant reactive temperament emerged as moderators.