TY - JOUR
T1 - Family processes: Early child emotionality, parental stress, and couple relationship quality
AU - Berryhill, Micha Blake
AU - Soloski, Kristy
AU - Durtschi, Jared
AU - Adams, Rebecca
PY - 2016/1
Y1 - 2016/1
N2 - Guided by family systems theory, we used couple data (N =1,778) from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study
to examine the link between perceived infant negative emotionality, parenting stress, and couple relationship quality
when the child was 1, 3, and 5 years. Using a latent actor–partner interdependence model, we tested dyadic direct and
indirect effects for married and cohabiting couples. Parents who reported higher levels of perceived infant negative
emotionality at age 1 had higher parenting stress at age 3. Mothers’ and fathers’ parenting stress at age 3 predicted lower
levels of their own couple relationship quality and their partner’s relationship quality at age 5. Parenting stress mediated
the relation between perceived infant emotionality and couple relationship quality.
AB - Guided by family systems theory, we used couple data (N =1,778) from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study
to examine the link between perceived infant negative emotionality, parenting stress, and couple relationship quality
when the child was 1, 3, and 5 years. Using a latent actor–partner interdependence model, we tested dyadic direct and
indirect effects for married and cohabiting couples. Parents who reported higher levels of perceived infant negative
emotionality at age 1 had higher parenting stress at age 3. Mothers’ and fathers’ parenting stress at age 3 predicted lower
levels of their own couple relationship quality and their partner’s relationship quality at age 5. Parenting stress mediated
the relation between perceived infant emotionality and couple relationship quality.
U2 - 10.1111/pere.12109
DO - 10.1111/pere.12109
M3 - Article
SP - 23
EP - 41
JO - Personal Relationships
JF - Personal Relationships
ER -