Abstract
While associations between exposure to marital conflict and child development have been documented extensively in middle childhood
and adolescence, few studies have examined the developmental consequences of conflict exposure in infancy. Moreover, those
that have examined marital conflict in infancy tended to focus on consequences of conflict exposure on infants’ attachment
security, and various aspects of infants’ physiological and emotion regulation. Virtually nothing is known about the longitudinal
links between exposure to interparental conflict in infancy and later cognitive development. Using longitudinal data on a
subsample of infants (N = 6,019) and their parents who participated in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort
(ECLS-B), this study examined links between the frequency of interparental conflict at 9 months and child cognitive development
15 months later. Combining data from parent interviews, birth certificates, in-home assessments of child cognitive development,
and videotaped parent–child interactions, results showed significant negative associations between the frequency of child-related
interparental conflict at 9 months of age and child cognitive ability at 24 months. The negative association reflects a direct
effect that was not mediated by parental support or child attachment security measured at 24 months. Associations were calculated
while considering children’s prior cognitive functioning (at 9 months), and a wide range of child, parent and household characteristics.
and adolescence, few studies have examined the developmental consequences of conflict exposure in infancy. Moreover, those
that have examined marital conflict in infancy tended to focus on consequences of conflict exposure on infants’ attachment
security, and various aspects of infants’ physiological and emotion regulation. Virtually nothing is known about the longitudinal
links between exposure to interparental conflict in infancy and later cognitive development. Using longitudinal data on a
subsample of infants (N = 6,019) and their parents who participated in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort
(ECLS-B), this study examined links between the frequency of interparental conflict at 9 months and child cognitive development
15 months later. Combining data from parent interviews, birth certificates, in-home assessments of child cognitive development,
and videotaped parent–child interactions, results showed significant negative associations between the frequency of child-related
interparental conflict at 9 months of age and child cognitive ability at 24 months. The negative association reflects a direct
effect that was not mediated by parental support or child attachment security measured at 24 months. Associations were calculated
while considering children’s prior cognitive functioning (at 9 months), and a wide range of child, parent and household characteristics.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Category Original Paper
- Pages 1-14
- DOI 10.1007/s10826-012-9603-3
- Authors
- Patricia Pendry, Department of Human Development, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99163-4852, USA
- Emma K. Adam, Human Development and Social Policy, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
- Journal Journal of Child and Family Studies
- Online ISSN 1573-2843
- Print ISSN 1062-1024