The Effect of Child Characteristics and Environmental Demands on Parenting Across Intact and Divorced Families: An Exploratory View

Minimal attention has been directed toward learning how children may influence parenting practices and styles within a divorce setting, and - more significantly - how children may influence the co-parenting practices and behaviors of divorced parents. The roles of child temperament, parenting, and their reciprocal interaction werereviewed as they relate to the development of externalizing and internalizing problems in childhood. Literature regarding the impact of divorce on the parent-child relationship was also discussed. A cluster analytic approach was utilized in order to identify three groups of individuals with internalizing, externalizing, and adaptive characteristics. Parenting features were then evaluated across both intact and divorced family settings to explore for any influence of the child and the environmental demands on parenting. Only one significant interaction was revealed between marital status and child characteristics in relation to maternal discipline. Significant findings were discussed within light of prior literature.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Psychology

Year dc:date.available

2007

Author dc:creator

• Stevenson, Jennifer L.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Dr. Arnold L. Stolberg

• divorce
• parent-child relationship
• temperament
• parenting
• family unit
• Psychology
• Social and Behavioral Sciences

Statement dc:rights

• © The Author

Identifier

https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/1197

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarscompass.vcu.edu:etd-2196