explain how constructive and disruptive relationship c
ould influence your well.being
Answers
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.
Keywords: Marital disharmony, prosocial behavior, parent-child relationships, emotion regulation, social behavior
In every marriage, conflict is unavoidable. Yet, when children are faced with destructive conflict, they are at risk for developing adjustment problems. Aggression, delinquency, and conduct disorders are commonly seen externalizing disorders, whereas anxiety, depression, and withdrawal are types of internalizing disorders that are associated with marital conflict (Emery, 1982; Grych & Fincham, 1990). The connection between marital conflict and children's behavioral and emotional difficulties is well documented.
Specific conflict tactics have been explored towards understanding more specifically how marital conflict impacts children. When both the frequency and intensity of parental arguments are studied, how the disputes are handled, rather than the frequency, matters most (Goodman, Barfoot, Frye, & Belli, 1999). According to the emotional security theory (EST), children have a higher-order goal of wanting to feel safe and secure in their family (Davies & Cummings, 1994). Marital conflict which threatens that goal has a different effect than marital conflict not threatening emotional security. With regard to this issue, marital conflict has recently been classified into two categories: constructive and destructive.
When parents handle conflicts in positive ways by displaying behaviors, such as verbal and physical affection, problem solving and support, the conflict is said to be constructive (Goeke-Morey, Cummings, Harold, & Shelton, 2003). This type of conflict helps preserve children's security by increasing their confidence that any difficulties between their parents will be managed in a way that maintains family harmony. Children are less likely to regulate their exposure to this type of conflict situation by intervening or getting directly involved in the dispute (Cummings & Davies, 1996). Constructive conflict also reduces the probability of children having aggressive tendencies (Cummings, Goeke-Morey, & Papp, 2004) and may aid children in the development of their own problem solving, coping, and conflict resolution abilities (Grych & Fincham, 1990). At the same time, the relationship between constructive conflict and children's positive social functioning remains scarce in the literature.