Citation

Kim K, Jackson Y, Conrad S, Hunter H. J. Child Fam. Stud. 2008; 17(5): 735-751.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2008, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s10826-007-9187-5

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Research consistently shows that children exposed to interparental conflict are at-risk for experiencing psychopathology. Establishing a link, however, between interparental conflict and maladjustment is not the same as understanding how specific outcomes manifest. Therefore, we examined the relation of interparental conflict and appraisal with adolescent outcome with 169 high school students (ages 14-19 years). Specifically, threat and self-blame appraisals were hypothesized to mediate the relation between interparental conflict and both adaptive and maladaptive outcomes. Results suggest that threat partially mediated the relation between interparental conflict and externalizing problems, interparental conflict and internalizing problems, and interparental conflict and adaptive behaviors. Additionally, self-blame appears to partially mediate the relation between interparental conflict and internalizing problems. Implications of the current findings are discussed.