Abstract
Mothers' evaluations of their marital relationship and of their children's behavior at home and teachers' ratings of the children's behavior in school were obtained using well-established measures. While an association was found between ratings of marital discord and children's problematic behavior, the relation was a fairly weak one. The present findings are discussed in comparison to the results of other research that has relied upon clinic samples and nonindependent ratings in examining the relation between marital and child problems. In general, it appears that different methodological procedures lead to quite different conclusions about the strength of the association between interparental conflict and child behavior problems.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Achenbach, T. M., & Edelbrock, C. S. (1978). The classification of child psychopathology: A review and analysis of empirical efforts.Psychological Bulletin, 85, 1275–1301.
Becker, W. C. (1964). Consequences of different kinds of parental discipline. In M. L. Hoffman & L. W. Hoffman (Eds.),Review of child development research (pp. 169–208). New York: Russell Sage Foundation.
Block, J. H., Block, J., & Morrison, A. (1981). Parental agreement-disagreement on childrearing orientations and gender-related personality correlates in children.Child Development, 52, 965–974.
Bowlby, J. (1973).Attachment and loss: II. Separation. New York: Basic Books.
Emery, R. E. (1982). Interparental conflict and the children of discord and divorce.Pschological Bulletin, 92, 310–330.
Emery, R. E., Binkoff, J. A., Houts, A. C., & Carr, E. G. (1983). Children as independent variables: Some clinical implications of child-effects.Behavior Therapy, 14, 398–412.
Emery, R. E., & O'Leary, K. D. (1982). Children's perceptions of marital discord and behavior problems of boys and girls.Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 10, 11–24.
Emery, R. E., Weintraub, S., & Neale, J. M. (1982). Effect of marital discord on the school behavior of children of schizophrenic, affectively disordered, and normal parents.Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 10, 215–228.
Ferguson, L. R., & Allen, D. R. (1978). Congruence of parent perception, marital satisfaction and child adjustment.Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 46, 345–346.
Ferguson, L. R., Partyka, L. B., & Lester, B. M. (1974). Patterns of parental perception differentiating clinic from nonclinic children.Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 2, 169–181.
Gurman, A. S., & Kniskern, D. P. (1981).Handbook of family therapy. New York: Brunner/ Mazel.
Kent, R. N., & O'Leary, K. D. (1976). A controlled evaluation of behavior modification with conduct problem children.Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 44, 586–596.
Locke, H. J., & Wallace, K. M. (1959). Short marital adjustment and prediction tests: Their reliability and validity.Marriage and Family Living, 21, 251–255.
Margolin, G., & Christensen, A. (1981, November).The treatment of families with marital and child problems. Paper presented at the meeting of the Association for the Advancement of Behavior Therapy, Toronto.
Miller, L. C. (1977).Louisville Behavior Checklist. Los Angeles: Western Psychological Services.
O'Leary, K. D., & Emery, R. E. (in press). Marital discord and child behavior problems. In M. D. Levine & P. Satz (Eds.),Developmental variation and dysfunction. New York: Academic Press.
O'Leary, K. D., & Turkewitz, H. (1978). Methodological errors in marital and child treatment research.Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 46, 747–758.
Oltmanns, T. F., Broderick, J. E., & O'Leary, K. D. (1977). Marital adjustment and the efficacy of behavior therapy with children.Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 45, 724–729.
Orvaschel, H., Sholomskas, D., & Weissman, M. M. (1980). The assessment of psychopathology and behavioral problems in children: A review of scales suitable for epidemiological and clinical research (1967–1979) (Series AN. No. 1. DHHS Publication No. ADM 80-1037). NIMH, Supt. of Documents, Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office.
Patterson, G. R., Cobb, J. A., & Ray, R. S. (1973). A social engineering technology for retraining the families of aggressive boys. In H. E. Adams & I. P. Unikel (Eds.),Issues and trends in behavior therapy, (pp. 139–210) Springfield, Illinois: Charles C Thomas.
Porter, B., & O'Leary, K. D. (1980). Marital discord and childhood behavior problems.Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 80, 287–295.
Quay, H. C. (1977). Measuring dimensions of deviant behaviors: The Behavior Problem Checklist.Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 5, 277–287.
Quay, H. C. (1979). Classification. In H. C. Quay & J. S. Werry (Eds.),Psychopathological disorders of childhood (2nd ed., pp. 1–42), New York: Wiley.
Quay, H. C, & Peterson, D. R. (1979).Manual for the Behavior Problems Checklist. Unpublished manuscript.
Robinson, E. A., & Anderson, L. L. (1981, August).Family adjustment, parental attitudes, and social desirability. Paper presented at the meeting of the American Psychological Association, Los Angeles.
Rutter, M. (1971). Parent-child separation: Psychological effects on the children.Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines, 12, 233–260.
Rutter, M. (1980). Protective factors in children's responses to stress and disadvantage. In M. W. Kent & J. E. Rolf (Eds.),Primary prevention of psychopathology: III. Promoting social competence and coping in children (pp. 49–74). Hanover, New Hampshire: University Press of New England.
Rutter, M. (1981). Stress, coping, and development: Some issues and some questions.Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 22, 323–356.
Rutter, M., Graham, P., Chadwick, O. F. D., & Yule, W. (1976). Adolescent turmoil: Fact or fiction.Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 17, 35–56.
Rutter, M., Yule, B., Quinton, D., Rowlands, O., Yule, W., & Berger, M. (1975). Attainment and adjustment in two geographic areas. Some factors accounting for area differences.British Journal of Psychiatry, 126, 520–533.
Spanier, G. B. (1976). Measuring dyadic adjustment: New scales for assessing the quality of marriage and similar dyads.Journal of Marriage and the Family, 38 15–28.
Speer, D. C. (1971). Behavior Problem Checklist (Peterson-Quay): Base-line data from parents of child guidance and nonclinic children.Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 36, 221–228.
Whitehead, L. (1979). Sex differences in children's responses to family stress: A re-evaluation.Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines, 20, 247–254.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This work was supported in part by a grant from the Sigma Xi Scientific Society.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Emery, R.E., O'Leary, K.D. Marital discord and child behavior problems in a nonclinic sample. J Abnorm Child Psychol 12, 411–420 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00910656
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00910656