Effects of verbal marital conflict on subsequent mother-son interactions in a child clinical sample

Author(s): Boggio, R. M., Jouriles, E. N.

Journal/Book: J Clin Child Psychol. 1996; 25: 10 Industrial Ave, Mahwah, NJ 07430-2262. Lawrence Erlbaum Assoc Inc. 262-271.

Abstract: Examined experimentally the effects of verbal marital conflict on subsequent interactions between mothers and their clinic-referred 4- to 10-year-old sons. Twenty-six mothers were randomly assigned to either a conflictual or nonconflictual discussion with their husbands that was not witnessed by their sons. Immediately afterwards, mothers participated in a clean-up task with their sons. Dependent variables included mothers' use of approval, disapproval, poor commands, empathy, general conversation, and sons' noncompliance. Mothers in the marital conflict condition delivered a higher number of empathic statements to sons compared with those in the nonconflictual condition. This funding provides modest experimental evidence that, within a child clinical sample, mothers may behave in a more empathic manner toward sons following an episode of verbal marital conflict.

Note: Article A Mahoney, Bowling Green State Univ, Dept Psychol, Bowling Green, OH 43403 USA

Keyword(s): PARENT; PERCEPTIONS; ADJUSTMENT; DISCORD; MARRIAGE; BEHAVIOR; QUALITY

Zurück | Weiter