TY - JOUR
T1 - Understanding children's emotional processes and behavioral strategies in the context of marital conflict
AU - Koss, Kalsea J.
AU - George, Melissa R.W.
AU - Bergman, Kathleen N.
AU - Cummings, E. M.
AU - Davies, Patrick T.
AU - Cicchetti, Dante
PY - 2011/7/1
Y1 - 2011/7/1
N2 - Marital conflict is a distressing context in which children must regulate their emotion and behavior; however, the associations between the multidimensionality of conflict and children's regulatory processes need to be examined. The current study examined differences in children's (N=207, mean age=8.02. years) emotions (mad, sad, scared, and happy) and behavioral strategies to regulate conflict exposure during resolved, unresolved, escalating, and child-rearing marital conflict vignettes. Children's cortisol levels were assessed in relation to child-rearing and resolved conflict vignettes. Anger and sadness were associated with escalating and child-rearing conflicts, fearfulness was related to escalating and unresolved conflicts, and happiness was associated with resolution. Anger was associated with children's strategies to stop conflict, whereas sadness was associated with monitoring and avoidant strategies. Cortisol recovery moderated the link between fearfulness and behavioral regulation. These results highlight the importance of children's emotions and regulatory processes in understanding the impact of marital conflict.
AB - Marital conflict is a distressing context in which children must regulate their emotion and behavior; however, the associations between the multidimensionality of conflict and children's regulatory processes need to be examined. The current study examined differences in children's (N=207, mean age=8.02. years) emotions (mad, sad, scared, and happy) and behavioral strategies to regulate conflict exposure during resolved, unresolved, escalating, and child-rearing marital conflict vignettes. Children's cortisol levels were assessed in relation to child-rearing and resolved conflict vignettes. Anger and sadness were associated with escalating and child-rearing conflicts, fearfulness was related to escalating and unresolved conflicts, and happiness was associated with resolution. Anger was associated with children's strategies to stop conflict, whereas sadness was associated with monitoring and avoidant strategies. Cortisol recovery moderated the link between fearfulness and behavioral regulation. These results highlight the importance of children's emotions and regulatory processes in understanding the impact of marital conflict.
KW - Behavioral regulation
KW - Childhood development
KW - Cortisol
KW - Emotion
KW - Family relations
KW - Interparental conflict
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=79953023928&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=79953023928&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jecp.2011.02.007
DO - 10.1016/j.jecp.2011.02.007
M3 - Article
C2 - 21397249
AN - SCOPUS:79953023928
VL - 109
SP - 336
EP - 352
JO - Journal of Experimental Child Psychology
JF - Journal of Experimental Child Psychology
SN - 0022-0965
IS - 3
ER -