ERIC Number: EJ832577
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2009-Mar
Pages: 10
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0021-9630
EISSN: N/A
Constructive and Destructive Marital Conflict, Emotional Security and Children's Prosocial Behavior
McCoy, Kathleen; Cummings, E. Mark; Davies, Patrick T.
Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, v50 n3 p270-279 Mar 2009
Background: This study addresses the gaps in understanding the relationship between constructive and destructive marital conflict and children's prosocial behavior from a process-oriented perspective. Method: Data were drawn from a three-wave study of 235 families with children ages 5-7 at wave 1. Relations between constructive and destructive marital conflict, children's emotional security, warm parenting and children's prosocial behavior were examined through the use of structural equation modeling. Results: Even after controlling for prior levels of children's prosocial behavior at wave 1, children's emotional security acted as an intervening variable between both constructive and destructive marital conflict and children's prosocial behavior over time. Conclusions: These findings advance the relationship between marital conflict and children's adjustment by focusing on children's prosocial behavior and highlight the need to further investigate the impact of positive dimensions of marital conflict on dimensions of children's positive social functioning.
Descriptors: Psychological Needs, Prosocial Behavior, Structural Equation Models, Conflict, Parent Child Relationship, Marital Instability, Security (Psychology), Emotional Adjustment
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A