Understanding heterogeneity in pathways between interparental conflict and children's involvement: The moderating role of affect-biased attention |
| |
| Authors: | Morgan J Thompson Patrick T Davies Melissa L Sturge-Apple |
| |
| Institution: | Department of Psychology, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, USA |
| |
| Abstract: | The study examined the moderating role of children's affect-biased attention to angry, fearful, and sad adult faces in the link between interparental conflict and children's distinct forms of involvement. Participants included 243 preschool children (Mage = 4.60 years, 56% female) and their parents from racially (48% African American, 43% White) and socioeconomically (median annual household income = $36,000) diverse backgrounds. Data collection took place in the Northeastern United States (2010–2014). Utilizing a multi-method, multi-informant, longitudinal design, attention away from anger selectively amplified the link between interparental conflict and children's subsequent coercive involvement (β = ?.15). Greater attention to fear potentiated the pathway between interparental conflict and children's later cautious (β = .14) and caregiving involvement (β = .15). Findings are interpreted in the context of environmental sensitivity models. |
| |
| Keywords: | |
|
|
