Adult attachment and marital interaction as predictors of whole family interactions during the transition to parenthood.
This study examined the role of parental adult attachment and couples' prenatal and postnatal marital interactions in predicting the quality of family interactions 24 months after the birth of the couple's first child. Father's prenatal marital withdrawal and mother's postnatal marital withdrawal were associated with less adaptive family interactions at 24 months. Families with fathers who had an insecure attachment, as assessed by the Adult Attachment Interview, showed less positive and more negative interactions at 24 months, but only when there were higher levels of negative escalation in the couple's marriage prenatally. Findings are discussed in terms of the importance of exploring the transition to parenthood at the broader family level.
Paley
Blair
B
Department of Psychiatry, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Neuropsychiatric Institute and Hospital.
Cox
Martha J
MJ
Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Kanoy
Korrel W
KW
Department of Psychology, Peace College.
Harter
Kristina S M
KSM
Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Burchinal
Margaret
M
Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Margand
Nancy A
NA
Department of Psychology, Washington and Lee University.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D005195:Family Relations; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007406:Interview, Psychological / Q000379:methods; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D010552:Personality Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D049590:Postpartum Period / Q000523:psychology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012737:Sex Factors; D012917:Social Adjustment; D012919:Social Behavior