ABSTRACTOvert and covert conflict across two parental dyads (biological mother and biological father, biological mother and stepfather) in the same family were examined in relation to emerging adults’ mental health (i.e., perceived stress, depressive symptoms, anxiety) and aggression (i.e., relational aggression, verbal hostility). In this study, the results from dominance analyses and relative weight analyses revealed the most important interparental conflict variable related to males’ mental health and aggression was conflict between biological mothers and stepfathers (particularly covert). For females, conflict between biological parents (especially covert) was most important to mental health, while conflict between mothers and stepfathers was more strongly related to females’ aggression (particularly overt for verbal hostility and covert for relational aggression).KEYWORDS: Aggressionbiological mother/fatherdepressionemerging adultsinterparental conflictrelative importancestepfatherstress AcknowledgmentsBakhtiari, F. (PI). Interparental conflict in stepfamilies and its impact on emerging adults’ well-being. Thesis Research Award. Office of Research and Graduate Studies, California State University, Northridge. Funded for $1,000 in Spring 2015.Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Additional informationFundingThe work was supported by the Bakhtiari, F. (PI). Interparental conflict in stepfamilies and its impact on emerging adults’ well-being. Thesis Research Award. Office of Research and Graduate Studies, California State University, Northridge. Funded for $1,000 in Spring 2015.
Following parental separation, fathers’ greater or lesser parental involvement relative to the other parent may be differently accounted for by father, child, and coparental factors. A representative sample of 671 separated fathers completed questionnaires two and four years after separation. For fathers less involved than the other parent, a better coparenting relationship accounts for greater T1 involvement, but predicts a decrease in involvement by T2. For fathers more involved than the other parent, a better coparenting relationship accounts for more balanced involvement of both parents at T1 and T2. For all fathers, more custody time accounts for greater T1 and T2 involvement and greater psychological well-being accounts for greater T1 involvement. Implications for intervention and research are discussed.
ABSTRACTThe current study investigated Israeli kindergarten children’s construction of sense of coherence during their parents’ divorce. 120 kindergarten children aged 4-6, whose parents had divorced in the previous two years took part in a semi-structured interview. Qualitative content analysis showed that the children perceived the divorce as both presenting difficulties of confusion and frequent transitions, and as enabling the benefit of double gifts and fewer arguments. The children structured the meaning of the concept of family as a form of conduct in which they see the help the family provides as well as the split and the expansion of the family. They gave emotional meaning to divorce - on the one hand sorrow and longing, and on the other, the fantasy of a reunion of their divorced parents. These findings are important for understanding the unique perspective of kindergarten children regarding their parents’ divorce and ways to help them accordingly.KEYWORDS: Children’s reaction to divorcequalitative researchsense of coherence Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
ABSTRACTABSTRACTIn this paper we identify and validate the structure of the acrimony scale and introduce two shorter versions: the AS-18 and the AS-10. Investigations using two large, independent samples of family mediation clients suggest a two-factor solution. We make a theoretical case for distinguishing between acrimony and conflict, and for measuring both acrimony and the capacity for cooperation remaining in a relationship between separated parents. We find that both dimensions can be retained in the shorter versions of the scale, which nevertheless demonstrate good reliability and validity. The subscales for the AS-10 consist of six items measuring "relationship hostility" and four items measuring "parental cooperativity." These short subscales may be useful in practice and research settings where it is necessary to measure either parental acrimony, potential for cooperation, or both, whilst minimizing respondent burden.KEYWORDS: Acrimonyconflictfamilyseparationco-parentingparental co-operationmediationshort scalesfactor analysisitem response theory Disclosure statementDr. Bickerdike and Dr. Heard declare their employment with an organization providing Family Dispute Resolution (mediation) services.Additional informationFundingParts of this research were supported by the federation of Relationships Australia.
Motherhood is a culturally and individually important role that shapes identities and behaviors. Typically, we think of motherhood in biological terms, but women are mothers in a variety of other ways. Double mothers are women who are both biological and stepmothers. Role identity theory was used to assess the mother identities and roles of 31 double mothers. This theory suggests that identities are shaped by cultural role definitions with effects on individual affect based on role enactment. Results of in-depth interviews demonstrated that these women sought to enact both of their mother roles in terms of the biological mother-role but were limited in doing so for their stepmother role. This was due to the stigma applied to stepfamilies as well as the influence of their stepchildrens’ biological mothers. The distress experienced by these women shows the lack of adjustment by social structures to changing family forms.
