Adolescents' cognitive and emotional responses to marital hostility.
Early adolescents' (11-14 years) responses to marital hostility were examined in a sample of 416 families. The cognitive-contextual perspective and emotional security hypothesis guided the study and 9 adolescent responses were identified. Prospective associations were examined in several structural equation models that included adolescent problems as outcomes. Self-blame and perceived threat uniquely mediated the association between Year 1 marital hostility and Year 3 adolescent externalizing problems (p<.05). Self-blame, lower constructive representations, internalization of feelings, avoidance, and emotional dysregulation uniquely mediated the association between Year 1 marital hostility and Year 3 internalizing problems. Specific cognitive and emotionally based responses are important to understanding how martial hostility affects youth and need to be considered within an integrated model.
Buehler
Cheryl
C
University of North Carolina, Greensboro, NC 27402, USA. cbuehler@uncg.edu
Lange
Garrett
G
Franck
Karen L
KL
D000293:Adolescent; D000339:Affect; D002648:Child; D003071:Cognition; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D019260:Expressed Emotion; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006791:Hostility; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires