PREDICTING MARITAL AND PARENT FUNCTIONING IN DYADS AND TRIADS - A LONGITUDINAL INVESTIGATION OF MARITAL PROCESSES

This study assessed longitudinally whether couples' dysregulated negat ive affect before parenthood is predictive of conflict, as well as dim inished affective quality, in family relationships 5 years later. Obse rvations of 25 couples' marital communication were made before parenth ood and again 5 years later, when data also were collected on parent-c hild and family interactions. Husbands' prechild marital behavior and couples' prechild negative escalation were predictive of husbands' con flict and triangulation of the child into marital conflict. Family-lev el functioning (e.g., coalition formation) was predicted by prechild n egative escalation. Parenting behavior was not predicted by prechild m arital functioning but was related to current marital functioning. The data provide support for the hypothesis that how couples regulate neg ative affect early on in marriage sets the tone for future interaction s involving parents and their child.