Marital Conflict and Children's Externalizing Behavior

Study moderators examined interactions between children's parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems (PNS and SNS) activity in order to achieve a greater specificity in the prediction of externalizing problems in the context of interparental conflict. Findings are robust across the three studies and provide the first reported evidence of interactions between PNS and SNS activity. Findings extend current theory indicating the importance of multisystem investigations for clarifying inconsistencies and discrepancies in the literature linking environmental stress, physiological responses, and child adjustment.

ABSTRACT. I. INTRODUCTION. II. INTERACTIONS AMONG MARITAL CONFLICT, SYMPATHETIC, AND PARASYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEMS ACTIVITY IN THE PREDICTION OF CHILDREN'S EXTERNALIZING PROBLEMS. III. ADDITIONAL TESTING OF THREE-WAY INTERACTIONS IN AN INDEPENDENT SAMPLE. IV. ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATION OF THE ROLE OF SYMPATHETIC AND PARASYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEMS ACTIVITY IN A SAMPLE OF 6-12-YEAR-OLDS. V. DISCUSSION. REFERENCES. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. COMMENTARY. SOME DIFFICULTIES IN INTERPRETING PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL RESEARCH WITH CHILDREN (Theodore P. Beauchaine). WHEN NEGATIVE IS POSITIVE (Ginger A. Moore). CONTRIBUTORS. STATEMENT OF EDITORIAL POLICY.