Marital conflict and the quality of young children's peer play behavior: the mediating and moderating role of parent-child emotional reciprocity and attachment security.
Parent-child attachment security and dyadic measures of parent-child positive and negative emotional reciprocity were examined as possible mediators and moderators of the connection between marital conflict and children's peer play behavior. Eighty parents were observed in a laboratory play session with their 15- to 18-month-old child. Subsequently, at 36 months children were observed interacting with peers at their child care setting. Connections between marital conflict and children's positive peer interaction were mediated by mother-child attachment security, mother-child positive emotional reciprocity, and father-child negative emotional reciprocity. Connections between marital conflict and children's negative peer interaction were mediated by mother-child positive emotional reciprocity and father-child attachment security. Parent-child attachment security and negative emotional reciprocity emerged as important moderators of the connection between marital conflict and children's peer play behavior.
Lindsey
Eric W
EW
Applied Psychology Program, Penn State Berks, Reading, PA 19610, USA. EWL10@psu.edu
Caldera
Yvonne M
YM
Tankersley
Laura
L
D000328:Adult; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D054541:Family Conflict / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007615:Kansas; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009769:Object Attachment; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010379:Peer Group; D010988:Play and Playthings / Q000523:psychology*