Marital interaction in dyadic and triadic contexts: continuities and discontinuities

Normativity and Desirability in Observational Assessments of Family Interaction

Issues of normativity (responding in a typical or average fashion) and desirability (the tendency for raters to endorse positive characteristics rather than neutral or more negative ones) are common in areas of the social sciences that frequently utilize profile correlations to measure dyadic similarity. They have implications for family scholars as well. In the present study, a pre-existing data set was used to make an initial, though limited, investigation into potential confounds of normativity and desirability for macrolevel observational assessments of family interaction. An empirical example is presented using q-sort ratings of family interaction, with variance in observational assessments decomposed into component parts. High levels of both normativity and desirability were found, indicating possible problems in terms of both reliability and validity of assessment. While the results provide an interesting beginning, they are limited due to the use of a q-sort methodology as well as an instrument with limited background and use. These limitations are discussed, as well as alternative interpretations for normativity and desirability and implications for future research.

Child-present and child-themed marital conflict in daily life of parents of children with and without autism spectrum disorder

Parents of 5- to 12-year-old children (half had been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder [ASD] and half were typically developing) provided reports of the most significant marital conflict of the day and ratings of child behaviors problems on a daily basis for 14 days. Mothers and fathers in the ASD group reported having more conflicts in daily life with any children present and more conflicts with the target child present than their counterparts with typically developing children did. Fathers (but not mothers) in the ASD group reported more conflicts as including child-related themes, although parents across the groups did not differ in their reporting marital conflict that specifically discussed the study's target child. Results from multilevel modeling revealed within-person associations between child presence during marital conflict and parents' emotions; specifically, child presence was related to lower dyadic positivity and higher dyadic anger, according to both mothers and fathers. In addition, results identified significant, positive within-person associations between child presence during marital conflict and discussing certain conflict topics (increased likelihoods of discussing any children and the study's target children). These direct associations were found consistently across mothers' and fathers' reports, and did not vary across ASD and comparison families. Multilevel models focused on implications of the marital conflict for the study's target children generally found child presence during conflict and discussion of child-themed conflict topics to predict higher levels of behavior problems in daily life. One moderating effect was identified, with child presence during conflict related to higher behavior problems according to mothers in the ASD group but not those in the comparison group. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Understanding Families as Systems

In this article, we discuss recent research that has arisen from theoretical and conceptual models that use a systems metaphor for understanding families. We suggest that research stimulated by such models leads social scientists in new and important directions in understanding the social and emotional development of children in their families. These models view development as resulting from the dynamic transactions across multiple levels of family systems, which regulate a child's behavior. Thus, these models are important in considering multiple influences on development and adaptation.

From Early Childhood to Adolescence: Linking Family Functioning and School Behavior

The present study uses observational assessment of 66 two-parent families working and playing together when their eldest child is in kindergarten and again in 9(th) grade to identify distinct patterns of family functioning derived from structural family systems theory. Whereas concurrent assessment of the relationship between family type and adolescents' school behavior were not significant, significant prospective longitudinal relationships between family type assessed in early childhood and 9(th) grade school behavior were indicated. Kindergarteners whose families were primarily characterized by a strong mother-child alliance were less academically competent, more aggressive/inattentive, and more anxious/depressed/withdrawn at school nine years later when they were in 9(th) grade, than their peers in more cohesive or father-child allied families.

Conflitos conjugais e familiares e presença de transtorno de déficit de atenção e hiperatividade (TDAH) na prole: revisão sistemática

O transtorno do déficit de atenção e hiperatividade (TDAH) é um dos transtornos neurobiológicos com maior prevalência na infância e pode implicar dificuldades no funcionamento conjugal dos pais das crianças afetadas, bem como sofrer influência do mesmo. OBJETIVO: Realizar uma revisão sistemática acerca dos aspectos conjugais em famílias de crianças com TDAH, relacionando-os com outras variáveis, como a presença de comorbidades, aspectos socioeconômicos e saúde mental dos pais. MÉTODOS: Revisão sistemática de literatura por meio do PubMed entre os anos de 1996 e 2006, utilizando os termos "ADD", "ADHD", "Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder", "Attention-Deficit", "marital conflict" e "family". RESULTADOS: Dezesseis estudos dentre 628 publicações iniciais e 55 artigos posteriormente incluídos pelas referências bibliográficas foram avaliados. O relacionamento conjugal aparece comprometido em grande parte da literatura, principalmente nos pais daquelas crianças que apresentam distúrbio desafiador e de oposição (DDO) ou distúrbio de conduta comórbidos. Contudo, resultados opostos também são encontrados em diversas pesquisas. CONCLUSÕES: Os resultados de pesquisas referentes ao funcionamento conjugal de pais destas crianças são heterogêneos. É preciso que sejam feitos estudos longitudinais, que possam esclarecer o impacto do transtorno nos conflitos conjugais de pais de portadores, bem como a influência destes últimos na expressão clínica do transtorno.

A systemic model of the youth mentoring intervention

Conceptual and empirical work on youth mentoring naturally tends to focus on the relationship between mentor and child. However, the parent/guardian and agency caseworker also may contribute to the success or failure of the mentoring intervention, and program effects may be partially mediated by the child's interactions with these individuals. This article presents a systemic model of mentoring depicting the interdependent network of relationships established between mentor, child, parent/guardian, and caseworker against the backdrop of agency policies and procedures. Numerous examples illustrate pathways of influence and patterns of communication in the context of this more holistic model of mentoring. Editors' Strategic Implications: Drawing upon ecological and systems theories, the author provides a promising conceptual model that focuses on patterns of interpersonal exchange among several key individuals (but not the only possible ones). This model reminds researchers and practitioners that mentoring resides within a mutually reinforcing (or inhibiting) network of other relationships. This systemic thinking has implications for child welfare agency policies and practices.

Marital conflicts in the home when children are present versus absent

Characteristics of marital conflict when children (8-16 years) were present versus absent were compared on the basis of 47 mothers' and fathers' reports during a 15-day period. Mothers described 669 incidents of marital conflict, and fathers described 551 incidents. About two thirds of the conflicts occurred in children's absence. Contrary to predictions, conflicts in which children were present were more negative (e.g., more negative emotions, more destructive conflict tactics) and more often about children than were child-absent conflicts. Although parents may attempt to protect children from conflict exposure, children tend to be exposed to a relatively hostile and emotionally negative subset of the marital conflicts that occur in the home.

Sobre a maneira de produzir dados no estudo da interação social

É arguído, neste artigo, que o requisito mais urgente e necessário à pesquisa observacional é a criação de categorias factuais-sensitivas que descrevam detalhes das condições humanas e situacionais específicas das trocas comunicativas. É também arguído que o processo de seleção de itens simples no fluxo de eventos é regulado por teorias e interesses dos observadores. Sem um conjunto preciso de hipóteses, nenhuma categoria pode ser formulada. Entretanto, as categorias devem ser criadas através de uma intensa interação com o material observado e novas categorias, que podem descrever eventos inesperados durante as observações, devem ser permitidas. Uma vez que os registros em vídeo garantem uma preservação da situação original, uma nova e profunda abordagem para gerar categorias é proposta. Tal abordagem abandona o uso restritivo de categorias predefinidas e defende uma abertura e um processo amplo de trocas com o material antes que as abstrações e categorias sejam formuladas.

Observation of couple conflicts: clinical assessment applications, stubborn truths, and shaky foundations

The purpose of this review is to provide a balanced examination of the published research involving the observation of couples, with special attention toward the use of observation for clinical assessment. All published articles that (a) used an observational coding system and (b) relate to the validity of the coding system are summarized in a table. The psychometric properties of observational systems and the use of observation in clinical practice are discussed. Although advances have been made in understanding couple conflict through the use of observation, the review concludes with an appeal to the field to develop constructs in a psychometrically and theoretically sound manner.

Observation of couple conflicts: clinical assessment applications, stubborn truths, and shaky foundations

The purpose of this review is to provide a balanced examination of the published research involving the observation of couples, with special attention toward the use of observation for clinical assessment. All published articles that (a) used an observational coding system and (b) relate to the validity of the coding system are summarized in a table. The psychometric properties of observational systems and the use of observation in clinical practice are discussed. Although advances have been made in understanding couple conflict through the use of observation, the review concludes with an appeal to the field to develop constructs in a psychometrically and theoretically sound manner.

Marital interaction, family organization, and differences in parenting behavior: explaining variations across family interaction contexts

Family systems theories remind us that, in two-parent families, children encounter their parents in multiple family configurations, including parent-child dyads and mother-father-child triads, or whole families. There are, however, relatively few empirical investigations of differences in parenting behavior which tend to emerge when a dyad is transformed into a whole family unit. Using a sample of 82 families with a kindergarten-age child, the present study offers support to earlier studies reporting that mothers' and fathers' parenting behavior differs when observed in dyadic and whole family interaction sessions. The present study then turns to examining explanations for these differences in parenting behavior. Limited support was found for the hypothesis that observations of marital interaction are associated with differences in parenting behavior across family interaction contexts. Family level assessment of adaptive organization was found to explain differences in fathers' parenting in the dyad and when the entire family is together, but not differences in mothers' parenting behavior. The clinical and methodological implications of these findings are discussed.

Parental reports of coparenting and observed coparenting behavior during the toddler period

Fifty-two married partners played with their 30-month-olds in both dyadic (parent-child) and whole family contexts and reported on their own coparenting activities (family integrity-promoting behavior, conflict, disparagement, and reprimand). Coparenting behavior observed in the whole family context was evaluated for antagonism, warmth and cooperation, child-adult centeredness, balance of positive involvement, and management of toddler behavior. Parallel balance and management scores were also formed using dyadic session data. Men's reported family integrity-promoting activities and women's reported conflict and reprimand activities were reliable correlates of family group process in both bivariate and discriminant analyses, with links enduring even after controlling for marital quality. Whole family- and dyad-based estimates of coparenting were altogether unrelated, and reported coparenting was tied only to behavior in family context, not to family measures created from dyad-based data.