The Role of Interparental Conflict in Divergent Perceptions of Parenting

Abstract

Objective

This study aimed to identify whether interparental conflict (IPC) is associated with patterns of convergence and divergence in parent–adolescent perceptions of parental warmth.

Background

Adolescents and parents often have divergent perceptions of parenting (informant discrepancies). Parents engaged in IPC may be particularly prone to lapses in warmth, while simultaneously being less likely to be aware of these lapses, leading to informant discrepancies in perceptions of parenting.

Method

Data from 687 adolescents (M _age = 11.3) from two-parent households was subsampled from the PROSPER (PROmoting School-community-university Partnerships to Enhance Resilience) trials, which involved families from two rural regions of the United States. Five latent profiles with varying degrees of adolescent–parent convergence and divergence in reports of parental warmth, identified in a prior study, were examined.

Results

Higher adolescent-reported IPC was associated with a higher likelihood of divergence, in which adolescents perceived lower warmth than one or both parents. Mother- and father-reported IPC were also associated with patterns of divergence in which adolescents perceived lower warmth than parents, albeit less consistently than adolescent reports.

Conclusion

Findings suggest IPC may impact the parent–child relationship to a greater degree for adolescents than for parents, creating discrepancies.

Implications

Additional research is needed in order to understand the nature and timing of the relationship between IPC and family informant discrepancies. A stronger understanding of the interrelations between IPC and discrepancies can inform prevention approaches with the goal of promoting healthy youth development and positive family relationships.