Marital Conflict and the Quality of Young Children’s Peer Play Behavior: The Mediating and Moderating Role of Parent-child Emotional Reciprocity and Attachment Security

Parent– child attachment security and dyadic measures of parent– child positive and negative emotional reciprocity were examined as possible mediators and moderators of the connection between marital conflict and children’s peer play behavior. Eighty parents were observed in a laboratory play session with their 15- to 18-month-old child. Subsequently, at 36 months children were observed interacting with peers at their child care setting. Connections between marital conflict and children’s positive peer interaction were mediated by mother– child attachment security, mother– child positive emotional reciprocity, and father– child negative emotional reciprocity. Connections between marital conflict and children’s negative peer interaction were mediated by mother– child positive emotional reciprocity and father– child attachment security. Parent– child attachment security and negative emotional reciprocity emerged as important moderators of the connection between marital conflict and chil