PRESCHOOLERS RESPONSES TO ONGOING INTERADULT CONFLICT - THE ROLE OF PRIOR EXPOSURE TO RESOLVED VERSUS UNRESOLVED ARGUMENTS

Children's past experiences with interadult conflict are likely to inf luence their responses to or?going arguments. Preschoolers' (4- to 5-y ear-olds) responses to interadult conflict were examined as a function of experimentally manipulated histories of exposure to resolved and u nresolved arguments. Children were presented with two live arguments t hat were either resolved or unresolved, then they were presented with a third argument that was interrupted in progress (i.e., unresolved), and they were interviewed next. Children's overt-behavioral responses were videotaped and coded for distress level. The results support the notion that past experiences with conflict resolution ameliorate child ren's distress responses to ongoing arguments. In comparison to childr en previously exposed to unresolved conflict, those exposed to a histo ry of resolved disputes were more likely to (a) exhibit lowered behavi oral distress (b) predict a lower likelihood of a conflictual outcome for the couple's argument, (c) report less negative perceptions of the arguing adults, and were less likely to (d) endorse intervention in c onflict through attempts to stop the disputes; (c) and (d) pertained o nly to girls.