Citation

Thompson MJ, Davies PT, Hentges RF, Sturge-Apple ML. Dev. Psychopathol. 2021; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2021, Cambridge University Press)

DOI

10.1017/S0954579420001959

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The present study examined the developmental value of parsing different forms of children's risky involvement in interparental conflict as predictors of children's subsequent psychological adjustment. Participants included a diverse sample of 243 preschool children (Mage = 4.6 years) and their mothers across two measurement occasions spaced 2 years apart. Three forms of risky involvement (i.e., cautious, caregiving, and coercive) were identified using maternal narratives describing children's emotional and behavioral reactivity during and immediately following interparental conflict. Utilizing a multimethod, multi-informant design, findings revealed that each form of involvement prospectively predicted unique configurations of children's developmental outcomes. Greater coercive involvement was associated with higher levels of externalizing problems, callous and unemotional traits, and extraversion. Higher levels of caregiving involvement were linked with greater separation anxiety. Finally, cautious involvement predicted more separation anxiety and social withdrawal.

Language: en

Keywords

children; coping; emotional and behavioral reactivity; psychological adjustment; risky involvement in interparental conflict