Marital conflict and the role of child temperament
Subject Areas : روان درمانگریFatemeh Gharehbaghy 1 , Maria A.Vafaie 2
1 - M. A. in Psychology
2 - PhD Tarbiat Modarres University
Keywords: Health, psychopathological symptoms, Marital conflict, child temperament,
Abstract :
This study examined the mediating and moderating role of child temperament in the relationship between marital conflict and the child's affective-behaviorals symptoms, physical and psychosocial health. 220 female and 193 male elementary school students (fifth grade) were selected using stratified random sampling. Their mother were administered the O'Leary-Porter Overt Hostitility Scale (Porter & O'Leary, 1980), the Early Adolescent Temperament Questionnaire-Revised (Putnam, Ellis & Rothbart, 2001), and the Child Health Questionnaire-Parent Form (Landgraf & Abetz, 1996). In addition, mothers and teachers of the students completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (Goodman, 1997). Regression analysis of data indicated that marital conflict and child temperment were predictors of child psychopathological symptoms and health. Marital conflict was positively correlated with negative temperament, and negatively correlated with positive temperament. The moderating role of child's positive temperaament and effortful control in marital conflict and child health was posited, as well as the mediating effect of child temperament in the relation between marital confict and child behavioral symptoms. The implications based on the research findings are discussed.
