This study examined the longitudinal effects of the partner relationship quality on parenting behaviors and school-age children’s peer relationships. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) archival data were used to examine parenting behaviors as a mediator between the quality of the partner relationship and school-age children’s peer relationships. Maternal report was used to assess partner relationship quality when the child was 1 month old; an observed parent-child interaction task was used to measure maternal parenting behaviors when the child was 54 months old; and teacher and child report were used to assess children’s peer relationships during 5th grade. Maternal parenting behaviors partially mediated the association between partner quality and children’s negative outcomes with peers and fully mediated this association when partner change was controlled for. Mediation was not established for children’s positive outcomes with peers. Results are discussed in terms of the emotional security hypothesis and attachment theory.
","abstract_html":"<p>This study examined the longitudinal effects of the partner relationship quality on parenting behaviors and school-age children’s peer relationships. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) archival data were used to examine parenting behaviors as a mediator between the quality of the partner relationship and school-age children’s peer relationships. Maternal report was used to assess partner relationship quality when the child was 1 month old; an observed parent-child interaction task was used to measure maternal parenting behaviors when the child was 54 months old; and teacher and child report were used to assess children’s peer relationships during 5th grade. Maternal parenting behaviors partially mediated the association between partner quality and children’s negative outcomes with peers and fully mediated this association when partner change was controlled for. Mediation was not established for children’s positive outcomes with peers. Results are discussed in terms of the emotional security hypothesis and attachment theory.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Gallagher, Erin"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Science (MS)","degree_level":"Open Access Thesis","degree_discipline":"Psychology","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Alissa Huth-Bocks, PhD, Chair","John Knapp, PhD","Carol Freedman-Doan, PhD"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2008,"date_issued":"2008-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2008-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:16:36Z","subjects":["Child development","Marital conflict","Parent and child Psychological aspects","Child Psychology"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://commons.emich.edu/theses/225","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Alissa Huth-Bocks, PhD, Chair","John Knapp, PhD","Carol Freedman-Doan, PhD"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Gallagher, Erin"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Psychology"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Open Access Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science (MS)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Child development","Marital conflict","Parent and child Psychological aspects","Child Psychology"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://commons.emich.edu/theses/225"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This study examined the longitudinal effects of the partner relationship quality on parenting behaviors and school-age children’s peer relationships. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) archival data were used to examine parenting behaviors as a mediator between the quality of the partner relationship and school-age children’s peer relationships. Maternal report was used to assess partner relationship quality when the child was 1 month old; an observed parent-child interaction task was used to measure maternal parenting behaviors when the child was 54 months old; and teacher and child report were used to assess children’s peer relationships during 5th grade. Maternal parenting behaviors partially mediated the association between partner quality and children’s negative outcomes with peers and fully mediated this association when partner change was controlled for. Mediation was not established for children’s positive outcomes with peers. Results are discussed in terms of the emotional security hypothesis and attachment theory.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["The impact of mothers’ partner relationship quality and maternal parenting on school-age children’s relationships with peers"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Alissa Huth-Bocks, PhD, Chair","John Knapp, PhD","Carol Freedman-Doan, PhD"],"dc:creator":["Gallagher, Erin"],"dc:description.abstract":["This study examined the longitudinal effects of the partner relationship quality on parenting behaviors and school-age children’s peer relationships. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) archival data were used to examine parenting behaviors as a mediator between the quality of the partner relationship and school-age children’s peer relationships. Maternal report was used to assess partner relationship quality when the child was 1 month old; an observed parent-child interaction task was used to measure maternal parenting behaviors when the child was 54 months old; and teacher and child report were used to assess children’s peer relationships during 5th grade. Maternal parenting behaviors partially mediated the association between partner quality and children’s negative outcomes with peers and fully mediated this association when partner change was controlled for. Mediation was not established for children’s positive outcomes with peers. Results are discussed in terms of the emotional security hypothesis and attachment theory.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://commons.emich.edu/theses/225"],"dc:subject":["Child development","Marital conflict","Parent and child Psychological aspects","Child Psychology"],"dc:title":["The impact of mothers’ partner relationship quality and maternal parenting on school-age children’s relationships with peers"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Psychology"],"thesis:degree_level":["Open Access Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science (MS)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:16:36Z"}