Partners in parenthood: Does parent conflict mediate the effect of romantic attachment on infant outcomes?

• In Event: Poster Session 09
  In Poster Session: PS 09 Topic - Family Context & Processes

Abstract

Attachment theory conceptualized the importance of the parent-child relationship, but Hazan and Shaver (1987) extended the theory to our understanding of adult romance. Parenting researchers deliberate the effects of the interparental relationship (i.e. constructive and destructive conflict) on child development. However, adult romantic attachment theorists consider the direct effect of parents’ romance on children’s development. A family system’s approach to these relationships highlights that child development is affected by both the parent-child and the couple relationship. The extant evidence addressing this gap highlights the potential moderating effect of romance between conflict behavior and infant development such that the impact of certain conflict behaviors, such as positive engagement and withdrawal, may depend on the parents’ attachment security. The current study, alternatively, considers the broader romantic context between parents and assesses conflict behavior as a mediating mechanism affecting infant outcomes (i.e. problem behavior, competence, and affect).
Data were obtained from an ongoing longitudinal study (Families and Babies Study) evaluating the effects of two interventions on parenting behaviors, infant development, and overall family functioning. For the purposes of this study, only data from when infants were 6-, 12-, and 16-months old will be utilized (current N = 129). At 6-months, questionnaires assessed mother and father romantic attachment (Becker et al., 1997) and laboratory observations of couples participating in a conflict communication were video recorded for later coding (Nowak et al., in prep; α ≥ .8). Infant outcomes were assessed via questionnaire (BITSEA; Briggs-Gowan et al., 2004) at 16-months and observational coding (infant affect; Braungart-Rieker, et al., 1998) of parent-infant dyads participating in the Still Face Paradigm (SFP; Tronick et al., 1978) at 12-months. Because infant affect coding is ongoing, primary analyses utilize parent report data on infant outcomes and secondary analyses will utilize observational data.
The primary analysis evaluated parents’ constructive and destructive conflict behavior as mediators between parents’ attachment styles and infant outcomes. Intervention is a covariate. Results indicate that more secure attachment leads to more constructive conflict behaviors, and more secure attachment leads to better fewer infant problem behaviors and greater infant behavioral competence (see Figure 1). Although, parent security predicted conflict behaviors, parent constructiveness did not significantly predict infant outcomes at 16 months.
After affect coding is completed, a secondary mediation model will be tested to assess the romantic attachment, constructive and destructive behavior, and infant affect. Sample size will also be larger by spring (~150). Preliminary correlations reveal that constructive behavior during conflict at pretest is related to less negative infant affect during the SFP at 12-months (see Table 1). We expect the future analyses to reveal significant mediation pathways, such that the effect of parent attachment style on infant affect is mediated by constructive conflict behavior.
These preliminary results show that couples’ roles as parents and partners are important to infant development. Future research is necessary on two fronts; unpacking the effects of systemic conflict behaviors with longitudinal research and exploring the potential for individualized conflict interventions based on romantic attachment.

Authors

• Samantha Murray, Colorado State University
  Presenting Author

• Molly ONeill, University of Notre Dame
  Non-Presenting Author

• Julie M Braungart-Rieker, Colorado State University
  Non-Presenting Author

• E. Mark Cummings, University of Notre Dame
  Non-Presenting Author