Interparental Conflict & Children’s Internalizing Psychopathology:

Examining the Role of Children’s Appraisals & Emotions Jennifer K. Hauser & John H. Grych

Marquette University

Integration of the Cognitive-Contextual Framework & the Specific Emotions Model

Incorporation of Childhood Internalizing Literature into this Model

GOALS OF THE CURRENT PROJECTGOALS OF THE CURRENT PROJECT

This work was supported by Grant NIMH# MH60294-01.

INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION

 

Cognitive-Contextual FrameworkCognitive-Contextual Framework (Grych & Fincham, 1990)Children’s appraisals mediate the relationship between Children’s appraisals mediate the relationship between interparental conflict and child adjustmentinterparental conflict and child adjustment

Two-stage Appraisal ProcessTwo-stage Appraisal ProcessInitial Processing: awareness of stressor & affective Initial Processing: awareness of stressor & affective reactionreactionSecondary Processing: more elaborate; attempt to Secondary Processing: more elaborate; attempt to understand why the conflict has occurred & how the understand why the conflict has occurred & how the child should respondchild should respond

Children’s Emotions Children’s Emotions (Stein & Levine, 1987; Stein & Trabasso, 1992)Organize and guide actionsOrganize and guide actionsWhen children perceive that their goals are threatened, When children perceive that their goals are threatened, the nature of the emotional reaction depends on the the nature of the emotional reaction depends on the child’s estimate of child’s estimate of how likely how likely it is that a goal can be it is that a goal can be restored or maintained if threatened.restored or maintained if threatened.Thus, a child experiences different emotions depending Thus, a child experiences different emotions depending upon if:upon if:

They think the goal can be They think the goal can be reinstatedreinstatedThey think it They think it unlikelyunlikely that that the goal can be that that the goal can be reinstatedreinstatedThe outcome is The outcome is uncertainuncertain

Specific Emotions Model Specific Emotions Model (Crockenberg & Forgays, 1996; Crockenberg & Langrock, 2001)Highlights importance of children’s emotional reactions Highlights importance of children’s emotional reactions to interparental conflict for understanding how exposure to interparental conflict for understanding how exposure to conflict influences children’s responses & adjustment.to conflict influences children’s responses & adjustment.The parental conflict functions as information that The parental conflict functions as information that children can use to construct the meaning of the conflict.children can use to construct the meaning of the conflict.Appraisals: (evaluating the status of personally Appraisals: (evaluating the status of personally significant goals) determine whether and which emotion significant goals) determine whether and which emotion the child will experience.the child will experience.Emotions: guide the type of behavior the child will Emotions: guide the type of behavior the child will engage in.engage in.

THE PRESENT STUDYTHE PRESENT STUDY

Integration of the Cognitive-Contextual Framework & the Integration of the Cognitive-Contextual Framework & the Specific Emotions ModelSpecific Emotions ModelThis model seeks to evaluate both appraisals and This model seeks to evaluate both appraisals and emotions in the presence of interparental conflictemotions in the presence of interparental conflictIt will also seek to incorporate the relationships between It will also seek to incorporate the relationships between specific appraisals & emotions and the type of specific appraisals & emotions and the type of psychopathology to which they are related.psychopathology to which they are related.

Internalizing PsychopathologyInternalizing PsychopathologyAnxiety & depression differ with regard to diagnosis, Anxiety & depression differ with regard to diagnosis, course, and appropriate treatment.course, and appropriate treatment.Current measures of childhood anxiety & depression are Current measures of childhood anxiety & depression are highly correlated.highly correlated.

Tripartite Model of EmotionsTripartite Model of Emotions(Clark & Watson, 1991)(Clark & Watson, 1991)

Two-factor structure of AffectTwo-factor structure of AffectSymptoms of anxiety & depression can be divided into 3 Symptoms of anxiety & depression can be divided into 3 classes:classes:

Those specific to anxietyThose specific to anxietyThose exclusive to depressionThose exclusive to depressionThose that are common to both disordersThose that are common to both disorders

Current self-report measures of anxiety & depression Current self-report measures of anxiety & depression tend to tap into negative affect (NA)tend to tap into negative affect (NA)

Positive & Negative Affect Scale for Positive & Negative Affect Scale for Children Children (PANAS-C; Laurent et al., 1999)New measure created to distinguish anxious from New measure created to distinguish anxious from depressed individuals– adapted from the adult version of depressed individuals– adapted from the adult version of the PANAS.the PANAS.Based on the Tripartite Model of EmotionsBased on the Tripartite Model of EmotionsConsists of Negative Affect (NA) items & Positive Affect Consists of Negative Affect (NA) items & Positive Affect (PA) items(PA) itemsBasic Premise: While both anxious & depressed children Basic Premise: While both anxious & depressed children will score high on negative affect, depressed children will will score high on negative affect, depressed children will score significantly low on the positive affect items.score significantly low on the positive affect items.

MEASURESMEASURES

Level of Interparental ConflictLevel of Interparental ConflictChildren’s Perceptions of Interparental Conflict Children’s Perceptions of Interparental Conflict Scale Scale (CPIC; Grych, Seid, & Fincham, 1992)(CPIC; Grych, Seid, & Fincham, 1992): Conflict : Conflict Properties ScaleProperties Scale

Assesses frequency, intensity, & resolution of Assesses frequency, intensity, & resolution of parental conflictparental conflict

AppraisalsAppraisalsCPIC Threat ScaleCPIC Threat Scale

Assesses the level of threat felt by the child Assesses the level of threat felt by the child when their parents have an argumentwhen their parents have an argument

CPIC Blame ScaleCPIC Blame ScaleAssesses the degree to which the child has the Assesses the degree to which the child has the tendency to blame themselves for the conflicttendency to blame themselves for the conflict

Emotions: Worry & SadnessEmotions: Worry & SadnessProblem Solving Task (PST)Problem Solving Task (PST)

Children are instructed to identify ‘how much’ Children are instructed to identify ‘how much’ they felt each emotion during the previous they felt each emotion during the previous discussion.discussion.SadSad & & Worried Worried were among other emotions were among other emotions that children were asked to ratethat children were asked to rate

Child Internalizing PsychopathologyChild Internalizing PsychopathologyPositive and Negative Affect Scale for Children Positive and Negative Affect Scale for Children (PANAS-C): Used to distinguish anxious from (PANAS-C): Used to distinguish anxious from depressed children depressed children

12 Positive Affect Items (interested, 12 Positive Affect Items (interested, excited, happy)excited, happy)15 Negative Affect Items (sad, ashamed, 15 Negative Affect Items (sad, ashamed, upset)upset)

RESULTS: RESULTS: Correlations of Criterion & Correlations of Criterion & Dependent VariablesDependent Variables

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

1. Conflict Properties

(CPIC: IPC)

1 .54* .33* .13 .14 .23* .24*

2. Threat Scale

(CPIC)

1 .19* .37* .20* .27** .15

3. Blame Scale

(CPIC)

1 .29** .12 .37** .42**

4. Worry

(PST)

1 .54** .50** .25*

5. Sad

(PST)

1 .38** .25*

6. Anxiety

(PANAS-C)

1 .50**

7. Depression

(PANAS-C)

1

Mean (SD) 12.8 (6.6) 10.4 (4.4) 3.1 (3.2) 13.2 (17.3) 10.5 (16.1) 13.9 (15.0) 30.1 (11.6)

Interparental Conflict Appraisal

s

Child Adjustment

IPC

Threat

Blame

Worry

Sad

Anxiety

Depression

APPRAISAL

EMOTION ADJUSTMENT

Note: * p<.05, ** p<.01

METHODSMETHODS

ParticipantsN=137 fourth & fifth grade childrenMean age= 10.7 52.2% Male, 47.8% FemaleEthnic Background

57.4% Caucasian25% African-American6.6% Hispanic.7% Asian8.1% Biracial2.2% Other

Hierarchical Regression AnalysesHierarchical Regression Analyses

Predictor Variables:AnxietyStep 1:

β for Interparental Conflict.24*

R2 .04Step 2:

β for Interparental Conflict.01

β for Threat .21*β for Blame .32**R2 .16

Step 3:β for Interparental Conflict

.07β for Threat .03β for Blame .21*β for Worry .35**β for Sad .15R2 .32

Predictor Variables: DepressionStep 1:

β for Interparental Conflict.27*

R2 .06Step 2:

β for Interparental Conflict .12β for Threat .03β for Blame .39**R2 .18

Step 3:β for Interparental Conflict .13β for Threat -.06β for Blame .37**β for Worry .04β for Sad .30*R2 .26

DISCUSSIONDISCUSSION

Conflict Propertie

s

Threat

Blame

Worry

Sad

Anxiety

Depression

.18*

.42**

.21*

.35*

.37**

.30*

AppraisalsThreat

Mediator of relationship between Interparental Conflict & AnxietyAs predicted, not significantly related to Sadness or Depression

BlameMediator of both Interparental Conflict - Depression relationship & Interparental Conflict - Anxiety relationship

EmotionsWorry appears to be specific to Anxiety, whereas Sadness seems to be specific to Depression.Sadness

Contrary to predictions, Sadness was not a mediator of the association between Blame and Depression

WorryMediates relationship between Threat and AnxietyAlso, partially mediates relationship between Blame and Anxiety

Contributions of the Current ProjectIntegration of the Cognitive-Contextual Framework & the Specific Emotions ModelIncreased SpecificityIncorporation of Child Anxiety & Depression Literature into Interparental Conflict Domain

Limitations & Directions for Future ResearchCross-sectional data: Since cross-sectional data were used in this project, no conclusions about time-ordered sequencing can be made. Longitudinal data are needed to explore predictive relationships among these variables.Utilization of PANAS-C: (1) used alternate scoring, (2) does not assess comorbid anxiety & depression, and (3) does not assess physiological hyperarousal (thought to be a significant component of anxiety). Measurement of Emotion: Emotions demonstrated may be modulated versions of initial emotional responses (product of emotion regulation). Hence, it is difficult to assess a “pure emotion;” emotion regulation literature explores this issue conceptually & methodologically (Cole et al., 2004; Campos et al., 2004).