Poster #72 - Exploring the antecedents of triadic family interaction from a family systems perspective

• In Event: Poster Session 10

Abstract

According to family systems theory, understanding interaction patterns in the whole family is essential for understanding healthy versus maladaptive development in children. Previously, we found that controlling or disengaged triadic (mother-father-toddler) family interactions predict children's later anxious and depressive symptoms at age 7. In contrast, balanced triadic family interactions, in which all families are encouraged to express their emotional needs, predict children’s more positive emotional adaptation. This study is one of the first to draw on family systems and attachment theory to examine how qualities of each of the dyadic relationships in the family (marital, father-child and mother-child) over the transition to first-time parenthood contribute to triadic family interactions. We also examined whether marital quality predicts family interaction quality through infant-parent attachment relationship since infants growing up in families with better marital functioning are more likely to form secure attachments with both mothers and fathers (e.g., Owen & Cox, 1997).
First-time parents (N=125) were recruited during the third trimester of pregnancy and followed for two years. Prenatally, couples were observed at home participating in discussion tasks and coded for negative marital affectivity. Using Ainsworth's Strange Situation Procedure, infants’ attachment security with their mother and father was assessed at either 12 or 15 months with order counterbalanced. At 24 months, triadic interactions were videotaped at home and rated on emotional disengagement, controlling, and balanced interactions. Models were conducted for father-infant attachment (Figure 1) and mother-infant attachment (Figure 2) as mediators. We controlled for parents’ race/ethnicity and child sex in the analyses.
Infants whose parents displayed higher levels of prenatal marital negativity were less likely to form a secure attachment with their father, regardless of their attachment security with their mother (β =-.47; p<.01). This, in turn, predicted less balanced interactions in the triad (β = .98; p<.05). On the other hand, prenatal marital negativity was not related to infants’ attachment security with mothers, indicating fathers’ greater susceptibility to the negative effects of poor marital qualities. However, when infants developed an insecure attachment with their mother, regardless of their attachment security with fathers, triads displayed significantly more controlling behavior (β =-.94; p<.05). It may be the case that mothers engage in gatekeeping and undermine the father-infant relationship when in a negative marital relationship. An insecure infant-father attachment relationship can then further push the father away from the child, creating less balanced interactions. It is less clear why infants’ insecure attachment with mothers forecast controlling family interactions. We will examine specific patterns of attachment insecurity since previous studies have shown that children classified as disorganized in infancy are more likely to engage in controlling interpersonal strategies at age 3 (Lyons-Ruth & Jacobvitz, 2016).
The findings of the current study highlight the unique influence of infants’ attachment relationship with their mother and father. In addition, findings indicate that negative affectivity in the marriage prenatally may be a salient intervention target to promote more secure infant-father attachment and more balanced family interactions, both of which have been proven to benefit children’s development.

Authors

• Ziyu Tian, University of Texas at Austin
  Presenting Author

• Deborah B Jacobvitz, University of Texas at Austin

• Nancy Lynn Hazen, University of Texas at Austin

• Shuqi Zhang, University of Texas at Austin