Marital Quality over the Transition to Parenthood as a Predictor of Coparenting
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2015 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Journal of Child and Family Studie |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Web | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10826-015-0172-0 |
| Doi | http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10826-015-0172-0 |
| Field | Psychology |
| Keywords | coparenting; marital satisfaction; marital conflict; transition to parenthood |
| Attached files | |
| Description | This study examined changes in first-time parents’ marital quality over the transition to parenthood as predictors of their triadic coparenting quality and mothers’ and fathers’ involvement in parenting and support of their spouse’s coparenting. Mothers and fathers (N = 96 couples) individually completed measures of marital conflict and satisfaction prenatally, at 8 months, and at 24 months. Triadic family interactions observed at 24 months were coded for cooperative and competitive coparenting, fathers’ involvement in parenting, mothers’ involvement in parenting, fathers’ support of mothers’ parenting, and mothers’ support of fathers’ parenting. Latent growth curve modeling demonstrated that declines in fathers’ marital satisfaction predicted higher competitive coparenting and lower father involvement in parenting, and increases in fathers’ marital conflict predicted lower cooperative coparenting. Increases in mothers’ marital conflict predicted mothers’ lower support of fathers’ parenting. Thus, declines in fathers’ marital quality may have more direct effects on triadic coparenting quality, whereas declines in mothers’ martial quality may indirectly affect coparenting through their support of their spouse’s parenting. |
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