Journal of Family Psychology最新文献

This study develops a new measure for capturing dialectics of parenting that serve as sources of intergenerational ambivalence (IGA) in the parents of adult-aged children called the Dialectics of Parenting Adult Children Scale (DPACS). The current approach was informed by previous recommendations based on the strengths and weaknesses of existing methods for capturing IGA. The DPACS asks parents about beliefs and behaviors that are in logical contradiction with each other rather than conflicting emotional experiences. Scale items were inspired by a qualitative study that explored common themes of contradiction, referred to as dialectics, for parents of adult children (Levitzki, 2009). These five dialectics were separation and connection, narcissistic extension and individuation, familial connection and generation gap, parent needs and child needs, and hierarchy and equality. Participants were parents of adult children (N = 358) in the United States recruited using Amazon's Mechanical Turk. Data were collected through online survey using Qualtrics. Confirmatory factor analysis informed item retention and removal and ambivalence scores were calculated using the retained items. The DPACS was validated against an established measure of parent-adult-child relationship quality. Patterns of participant responses were examined and suggestions for interpreting DPACS ambivalence scores are provided. Findings indicate parental experiences of IGA were common for all dialectics. The DPACS could be useful in clinical settings for identifying specific sources of parental IGA. Although this new measure requires further development, the DPACS and the dialectical approach are a valuable addition to the conceptualization and measurement of IGA. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

Secure infant-father and infant-mother attachments are associated with fewer internalizing and externalizing behavior problems in childhood. The attachment network underscores relationships with both fathers and mothers to form four distinct configurations of attachment security (e.g., both secure, both insecure). This exploratory study had three aims: (a) to confirm the four classifications of the attachment network with fathers and mothers, (b) to examine whether longitudinal trajectories of toddler behavior problems differed as a function of the attachment network from 18 to 36 months, and (c) to test whether the attachment network would predict toddler behavior problems when other family risk factors (interparental conflict, older siblings' behavior problems) were added as predictors. Participants were 184 second-born, 12-month olds (55.9% girls) who participated in the strange situation procedure with fathers and mothers and were classified into four attachment configurations: both secure, both insecure, secure-mother/insecure-father, insecure-mother/secure-father. Longitudinal linear mixed models were conducted on a subsample of 150 families with both parent reports on externalizing and internalizing behavior problems when toddlers were 18-, 24-, and 36-month old, and interparental conflict and the older siblings' behavior problems when toddlers were 12-month old. Results revealed no effects of attachment in predicting toddlers' behavior problems; only the older siblings' behavior problems predicted toddler behavior problems from 18 to 36 months. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

Research on couple typologies has advanced our understanding of the communication patterns that distinguish happy from distressed partners. However, this work has suffered from a lack of conceptual and methodological cohesion and replication in large, heterogeneous samples, resulting in idiosyncratic typologies with limited generalizability beyond their initial development. The present study replicates and extends prior research by testing the external validity of previous communication typologies in a multisite sample of couples. We combined data from 13 studies that used the Rapid Marital Interaction Coding System to observe communication during mixed-gender couples' 10-min conflict interactions (N = 1,957). We used latent profile analysis to examine men's and women's (a) positive, negative, and neutral behavior and (b) positive and negative reciprocity. Groups were compared on relationship satisfaction and intimate partner violence to further characterize differences among couple subtypes. A five-class solution revealed couples whose communication can be described as (a) task-oriented (low positivity/negativity, high neutral problem discussion; 53%), (b) warm (high positivity/low negativity; 24%), (c) hostile (low positivity/high negativity; 9%), (d) expressive (high positivity/negativity; 7%), and (e) warm-but-reactive (high positivity/low negativity, high negative reciprocity; 6%). Men and women reported the highest levels of satisfaction in the warm, task-oriented, and warm-but-reactive groups. Intimate partner violence was highest in the hostile and expressive groups. These outcomes are largely concordant with the previous findings and should increase the field's confidence in the generalizability of earlier typologies. Our findings also raise new questions about the heterogeneous nature of communication among happy couples. We discuss these questions and their clinical implications. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

This study aimed to explore how first-time (heterosexual) fathers' involvement in caregiving and paid work roles was (co)constructed with their partners during the transition to parenthood-a period that entails unique adaptations and emotional experiences for fathers. Importantly, the emergence of the father role occurs within a relational context. However, few studies use a dyadic lens, and even fewer take a longitudinal approach to capture these unfolding dynamics during the transition to parenthood. An even smaller number combine these perspectives with a qualitative approach to understand how fathers construct and negotiate their new role within the coparenting relationship. We conducted semistructured individual interviews with Portuguese couples in two waves: during the third trimester of pregnancy and 18 months after birth. We analyzed data from 40 interviews (10 couples in total) using dyadic-longitudinal qualitative analysis. We grouped couples into one of three groups, which capture broad patterns and typical behaviors, values, and beliefs about work and parenting roles: "working fathers, caregiving mothers," "in-between care and work," and "equal care, equal work." Fathers' involvement in caregiving and paid work roles begins to take shape early in pregnancy through co-constructive processes, influenced by an interplay of individual and shared expectations, and available resources. Our findings highlight challenges faced during the transition to parenthood that may inform the development of psychological interventions that foster a supportive and adaptive family environment and promote fathers' involvement. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

This study explores the associations between consistent family mealtime schedules, parental and child control of food intake at 24 months, and children's internalizing and externalizing (EXT) symptoms at 36 months. Data were drawn from an observational cohort of 300 parent-child dyads, with analyses conducted on 270 families for whom complete data were available. Using both observational assessments and caregiver reports, we examined whether mealtime consistency and feeding strategies predicted internalizing and EXT symptoms, with the family's emotional climate during mealtimes as a potential moderator. Internalizing and EXT symptoms were measured using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, and family climate was coded from videos of family meals in the child's home at 24 months. Linear regression analyses, adjusting for gestational age, maternal education, race, and income, revealed that consistent family mealtime schedules were inversely associated with EXT symptoms at 36 months (β = -0.27, p < .05). Consistent mealtime schedules predicted lower EXT symptoms when mealtime emotional climate was high-quality (β = -0.58, p = .0003) but not when it was low-quality (β = 0.10, p = .56). These findings suggest that structured mealtime schedules, combined with warm, positive family interactions, may foster emotional security and support behavioral regulation in early childhood. Given the scarcity of observational studies on home mealtime environments, this study provides valuable insights into how family meals influence child behavior. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

We investigated the influence of parental depressive symptoms on interactive synchrony, an indicator of parent-infant interaction quality. Although research has shown the negative impact of maternal depressive symptoms-both prenatal and postnatal-on interactive synchrony, little is known about the impact of paternal depressive symptoms, particularly prenatal ones. From a family systems perspective, parental mental health is interdependent, with one parent's symptoms often associated with their partner's. However, it has not been investigated whether prenatal and postnatal depressive symptoms in one parent are associated with their partner's interactive synchrony with the infant. We hypothesized that higher prenatal depressive symptoms reported by both parents would be associated with reduced interactive synchrony in their own (actor effects) and in their partner's (partner effects; no directional hypothesis was specified based on previous findings) interactions with the infant. We also hypothesized postnatal depressive symptoms as mediators of target associations. Using an actor-partner interdependence mediation model, we analyzed data from 86 families. Both parents reported their symptoms at 36-38 weeks of pregnancy and 3-4 months after birth. Interactive synchrony was observed during a lab visit at the postnatal assessment. For mothers only, we found significant actor effects between higher prenatal symptoms and reduced interactive synchrony. No partner effects emerged nor did postnatal symptoms play a mediator role. A total effect from paternal prenatal symptoms to mother-infant interactive synchrony emerged. These findings highlight the importance of both parents in research on interactive synchrony to improve the understanding of reciprocal influences within the family. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

Qualitative studies have indicated that maternal gatekeeping has a significant effect on low-income, unmarried, nonresident fathers' involvement with children. Very few quantitative studies of maternal gatekeeping have been conducted with these fathers. The present study addresses this gap using a community sample of 649 low-income, unmarried, nonresident (n = 548), and coresident (n = 101) fathers. Fathers' perceptions of mothers' restrictive gatekeeping and encouragement were examined in relation to fathers' responsibility for and emotional support of children from infancy through adolescence. Multivariate analyses indicated fathers were significantly less involved in responsibility when mothers engaged in higher levels of restrictive gatekeeping. There was a positive main effect for fathers' perceptions of mothers' encouragement on fathers' emotional support of children. Moderation analyses showed a significantly stronger positive association between encouragement and responsibility among nonresident fathers compared with coresident fathers, even after controlling for restrictive gatekeeping. These findings point to the importance of researchers' and practitioners' attention to encouragement as well as restrictive gatekeeping. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

Latina immigrant mothers living in emerging immigrant destinations often face geographic isolation, discrimination, and socioeconomic stress that adversely affect parenting and mental health. This longitudinal mixed-methods study examined whether neighborhood cohesion contributed to parental knowledge among Latina immigrant mothers in predominantly rural Midwestern communities and whether maternal mental health mediated this relation. Quantitative data (N = 232, M_age = 38.7 years, 60% married, median household income = $30k-$40k) showed that higher neighborhood cohesion at Wave 1 was associated with greater parental knowledge at Wave 2, indirectly through lower levels of maternal mental health problems. Qualitative interviews (N = 19) enriched these findings by revealing that even weak social connections could provide meaningful instrumental, informational, and emotional support. However, barriers like racial discrimination and resource scarcity limited the potential benefits of neighborhood cohesion for some mothers. Together, these findings highlight the indirect role of neighborhood cohesion in supporting parenting by reducing psychological distress and underscore the importance of strengthening community-based support systems for Latina immigrant mothers in emerging immigrant destinations. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

This study investigated the associations among stigma in health care settings, parental positive identity (i.e., a multidimensional and affirming sense of self that emerges from navigating parenthood as an lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer-identified individual within a cis-heteronormative context), and intensive parenting attitudes (i.e., a parenting ideology marked by a relentless devotion to children's developmental, emotional, and social outcomes) in a sample of cisgender and transgender/nonbinary (TNB) lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer parents in Italy. Participants were 197 lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer parents (M = 37.23, SD = 7.71; 159 assigned female at birth; 54.82% cisgender, 45.18% TNB), all identifying as White and parenting children aged 0-18 years (M = 5.88, SD = 3.97; 115 assigned female at birth). Findings indicated that TNB parents reported significantly higher levels of health care stigma and endorsement of intensive parenting compared to cisgender parents, though levels of parental positive identity did not differ. Across both groups, greater health care stigma was associated with stronger endorsement of intensive parenting, particularly among those reporting lower positive identity. Notably, only among TNB parents with higher positive identity, greater experiences of stigma were associated with lower endorsement of intensive parenting. These findings underscore parental positive identity as a key psychological resource that buffers the negative impact of health care stigma on parenting attitudes. They also suggest that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer parents may internalize pressure to overperform by adopting intensive parenting norms in response to minority stress. The study emphasizes the need to integrate strength-based frameworks into lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer parenting research and to advocate for health care policy reforms aimed at reducing structural stigma. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

Although many studies report a positive association between parental psychological control and relational aggression, others have found nonsignificant results. This three-level meta-analysis aimed to explore the relation between parental psychological control and relational aggression across developmental stages from preschool to college and test potential moderating factors. China National Knowledge Infrastructure, APA PsycInfo, Web of Science, Elsevier, ProQuest, and Google Scholar were systematically searched until April 2023. A three-level meta-analysis was conducted on included studies. Fifty-seven studies comprising 20,719 participants and 448 effect sizes were included. Findings revealed a significant positive association between parental psychological control and relational aggression. This relation was significantly moderated by the developmental period and by the informants of parental psychological control and relational aggression. This review helps clarify the association between parental psychological control and relational aggression and highlights key moderators of this relation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).