TY - JOUR
T1 - Toddlers' Differential Susceptibility to the Effects of Coparenting on Social-Emotional Adjustment
AU - Altenburger, Lauren E.
AU - Lang, Sarah N.
AU - Schoppe-Sullivan, Sarah J.
AU - Kamp Dush, Claire M.
AU - Johnson, Susan
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2015.
PY - 2017/3/1
Y1 - 2017/3/1
N2 - The paper reports on a study which tested whether infants high in negative affectivity are differentially susceptible to observed coparenting behavior in relation to their subsequent social-emotional development. Data came from a longitudinal study of 182 US dual-earner, primiparous couples and their infant children. At nine-months postpartum, child negative affectivity was reported by mothers and fathers and supportive and undermining coparenting behavior were assessed from mother-father-infant observations. At 27-months mothers reported on toddlers' externalizing behavior and dysregulation using a clinical assessment tool designed to identify competencies and areas of concern in toddlers' social-emotional development. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed partial support for the differential susceptibility hypothesis. Specifically, infants high in negative affectivity had lower levels of dysregulation when embedded in a more supportive coparenting context, and higher levels of dysregulation when embedded in a less supportive coparenting context. In contrast, supportive coparenting behavior was not relevant for the dysregulation of infants initially low in negative affectivity.
AB - The paper reports on a study which tested whether infants high in negative affectivity are differentially susceptible to observed coparenting behavior in relation to their subsequent social-emotional development. Data came from a longitudinal study of 182 US dual-earner, primiparous couples and their infant children. At nine-months postpartum, child negative affectivity was reported by mothers and fathers and supportive and undermining coparenting behavior were assessed from mother-father-infant observations. At 27-months mothers reported on toddlers' externalizing behavior and dysregulation using a clinical assessment tool designed to identify competencies and areas of concern in toddlers' social-emotional development. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed partial support for the differential susceptibility hypothesis. Specifically, infants high in negative affectivity had lower levels of dysregulation when embedded in a more supportive coparenting context, and higher levels of dysregulation when embedded in a less supportive coparenting context. In contrast, supportive coparenting behavior was not relevant for the dysregulation of infants initially low in negative affectivity.
KW - Childhood development
KW - ecological context
KW - negative affectivity
KW - parent-child relations
KW - social adjustment
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U2 - 10.1177/0165025415620058
DO - 10.1177/0165025415620058
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85011802346
SN - 0165-0254
VL - 41
SP - 228
EP - 237
JO - International Journal of Behavioral Development
JF - International Journal of Behavioral Development
IS - 2
ER -