Poster #93 - Evaluating Interparental Conflict and Triangulation within the Family System on a Daily Time Scale

• In Event: 2-055 - Poster Session 06
  In Poster Session: PS 06 Section - Family Context & Processes

Integrative Statement

Interparental conflict is a well-documented risk-factor for adolescent development (Cummings & Davies, 2011; Grych & Fincham, 2001). One risk process that mediates interparental conflict and negative adolescent outcomes is triangulation (Fosco & Bray, 2016; Grych, Raynor, & Fosco, 2004; Rhoades, 2008), a process by which adolescent children are drawn into conflict between two parents or caregivers (Buchanan & Waizenhofer, 2001). Triangulating adolescents into interparental conflict is conceptualized as a regulatory strategy intended to reduce tension within the interparental dyad (e.g., Nichols & Everett, 1986). However, the role of triangulation in regulating or dysregulating family functioning has yet to be sufficiently evaluated. Furthermore, while some evidence exists for the impact of triangulation on parent-child relationships (i.e., Fosco & Grych, 2010) most research on interparental conflict and triangulation utilizes either cross-sectional data or longitudinal data captured on the scale of months or years. Interparental conflict and triangulation may carry implications for family functioning on a shorter time-scale best captured by intensive longitudinal methods.
The current study seeks to address this gap by using intensive longitudinal methods to evaluate within-family associations between both interparental conflict and triangulation and parent negative mood, parent-child relationships, and family cohesion on a daily basis. For hypothesis #1, we predict that on days in which families experience increased interparental conflict, parent negative mood will increase, family cohesion will decrease, parent-child closeness will decrease, and parent-child conflict will increase. For hypothesis #2, we predict triangulation will moderate each of these associations. On days in which triangulation is increased, we predict a diminished association between interparental conflict and parent negative mood, and an increased association between interparental conflict and family cohesion, as well as interparental conflict and parent-child closeness and conflict.
This study uses data collected from 151 pairs of adolescents (Mage = 14.60, SDAge = 0.83) and adult caregivers (Mage = 43.4, SDAge = 6.9) participating in the Penn State Family Life Optimizing Well-being (FLOW) study. Adolescents and adult caregivers completed up to 21 daily reports on mood, family cohesion, interparental conflict, parent-child relationship quality, and triangulation.
Results fully supported hypothesis #1; on days in which interparental conflict was increased, there was a significant increase in parent negative mood and parent-child conflict, as well as a decrease in family cohesion and parent-child closeness. However, results only partially supported hypothesis #2. Triangulation significantly moderated associations between interparental conflict and both parent-child closeness and parent-child, but not associations between interparental conflict and parent negative mood and family cohesion.
As expected, interparental conflict predicted same-day disruptions across various dimensions of family functioning. However, triangulation did not buffer the association between interparental conflict and parent negative affect, suggesting that triangulation does not represent an effective strategy for regulating parent affect during conflict. Furthermore, as expected, adolescents reported increased parent-child conflict on days in which they were highly triangulated. Highly triangulated adolescents reported lower levels of parent-child closeness on days with low interparental conflict, but experienced less steep declines in closeness as interparental conflict increased relative to less triangulated adolescents.

Authors

• Devin McCauley, The Pennsylvania State University
  Presenting Author

• Mengya Xia, The Pennsylvania State University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Carlie J Sloan, The Pennsylvania State University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Greg Fosco, Pennsylvania State University
  Non-Presenting Author