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Coparent Support and Conflict in African American Single Mother-Headed Families: Associations With Maternal and Child Psychosocial Functioning

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Abstract

This longitudinal investigation examined main and interactive effects of coparent support and conflict on mother and child adjustment in 248 low-income, African American, single mother-headed families. The findings indicated that coparent conflict was a more robust predictor of mother and child maladjustment both cross-sectionally and longitudinally than was coparent support. Moreover, findings revealed that coparent conflict and support interacted to predict one parenting behavior, monitoring, both cross-sectionally and longitudinally. Coparent relationships characterized by high levels of support and low levels of conflict were associated with the highest levels of parental monitoring behavior, whereas coparent relationships characterized by low levels of support and high levels of conflict were associated with the lowest levels of monitoring. The findings highlight the importance of examining both positive and negative aspects of coparent relationships in this at-risk, but understudied, group.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

    Deborah J. Jones & Sarah Foster

  2. Psychology Department, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont

    Rex Forehand

  3. Child and Family Studies, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina

    Shannon Dorsey & Gene Brody

  4. Psychology Department, University of Vermont, Dewey Hall, Burlington, Vermont, 05405

    Rex Forehand

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  1. Deborah J. Jones
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  2. Rex Forehand
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  3. Shannon Dorsey
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  4. Sarah Foster
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  5. Gene Brody
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Correspondence to Rex Forehand.

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Jones, D.J., Forehand, R., Dorsey, S. et al. Coparent Support and Conflict in African American Single Mother-Headed Families: Associations With Maternal and Child Psychosocial Functioning. J Fam Viol 20, 141–150 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-005-3650-0

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