Positive Marital Interactions Support Positive Parenting Behaviors Over the First Five Years After Childbirth

• In Event: Poster Session 14
  In Poster Session: Familial and Cultural Contexts in Human Development

Abstract

This study addresses the question about the relationship between positive parental interaction and parenting behavior over time in early family context. The relationship is discussed using longitudinal data following 4,898 pairs of parents from 1 to 5 years after childbirth. Structural equation modeling technique is employed to build a cross-lagged model in examining the long-term relationship patterns. There is significant temporal stability for parental interaction and parenting over time. Parental interaction associates positively with parenting behavior. However, for children in older ages, parenting behavior influences negatively on parental interaction quality. It is concluded that in addition to establishing positive parenting behavioral pattern early on, positive parental interaction also plays an important role in positive parenting.

Author

• Yi-Ju Chen, University of Wisconsin - Madison