Poster #31 - Marital Satisfaction and Child Prosocial Behavior: The Intervening Role of Coparenting

• In Event: Poster Session 16

Abstract

Prosociality is characterized by voluntary actions that benefit others, such as helping and sharing (Eisenberg et al., 2006). Child prosocial behavior is positively associated with numerous developmental outcomes such as academic performance, well-being and positive social relationships (Becherer et al., 2017; Collie et al., 2018; Nelson et al., 2015). Thus, it is important to better understand the antecedents of child prosociality.

According to family systems theory, the family is constituted of several subsystems that influence each other (Cox & Paley, 1997). One of the subsystems is coparenting, that is, the coordination between parents in the care and upbringing of their children (Feinberg, 2003). Congruent with family systems theory, research shows a positive association between marital satisfaction and coparenting: satisfied spouses support each other as parents and work cooperatively (Morrill et al., 2010). In addition, research also supports an association between coparenting and child prosocial behavior (Scrimgeour et al., 2013). However, the full model involving an indirect effect of marital satisfaction on child prosociality via coparenting has yet to be examined. Also, few studies include fathers, even though research suggests that their behavior (such as coparenting) may be more sensitive to the quality of their marital relationship (Krishnakumar & Buehler, 2000).

Thus, we aimed to examine the indirect association between both parents’ marital satisfaction and child prosocial behavior via each parent’s perception of the coparenting relationship with their spouse. The sample consisted of 84 French-Canadian children (39 boys) and both their parents. To assess marital satisfaction, both parents completed the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (Sabourin et al., 2002) when their child was 6 years old. To assess parents’ perception of their coparenting relationship with their partner, both parents completed the Coparenting Questionnaire (Margolin et al., 2001) when children were aged 7. Internal consistency was adequate for both questionnaires (α mothers = .89; α fathers = .86). To assess child prosociality while diminishing shared method variance with the predictors, we asked teachers and mothers to report on child prosocial behavior (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire; Goodman, 1997) at age 10. Internal consistency was adequate for mothers (α = .68) and teachers (α = .84). Maternal and teacher reports of child prosocial behavior (r = .31) were averaged. Two mediation analyses were computed with the PROCESS macro.

Results suggested that after accounting for child sex, family SES, as well as maternal marital satisfaction and coparenting, there was a significant indirect effect of paternal marital satisfaction on child prosocial behavior via fathers’ perception of their coparenting relationship (estimate = -.044; BCBCI = [-.095; -.005]). Likewise, after accounting for child sex, family SES, as well as paternal marital satisfaction and coparenting, there was a significant indirect effect of maternal marital satisfaction on child prosocial behavior via coparenting (estimate = .081; BCBCI = [.015; .154]).

The results of this longitudinal multi-informant study suggest that for both mothers and fathers, the ability to work effectively with the spouse in caring for their child may be one of the ways in which their satisfaction with their marital relationship influences child prosociality.

Authors

• Rose L. Thériault, Université de Montréal (UdeM)
  Presenting Author

• Annie Bernier, University of Montreal