Dyadic and Triadic Family Interactions as Simultaneous Predictors of Children's Externalizing Behaviors

• Author: Erin Boyd‐Soisson,Sarah E. Murphy,Nancy L. Hazen,Deborah B. Jacobvitz
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12225
• Published date: 01 April 2017
• Date: 01 April 2017

S E. M University of Texas at Austin

E B-S Messiah College

D B. J  N L. H University of Texas at Austin

Dyadic and Triadic Family Interactions as

Simultaneous Predictors of Children’s Externalizing

Behaviors

The purpose of this study was to investigate

the relationship between dyadic and triadic

family interactions and their association with

the development of children’s externalizing

behaviors. Data were obtained from a longi-

tudinal study of family interactions (N=125),

followed from before parentshad their rst child

until children were 7 years old. Family inter-

actions (marital, father–child, mother–child,

and triadic mother–father–child) were observed

in separate interaction tasks when children

were 24 months old as predictors of children’s

externalizing behaviors at age 7 (n=71 chil-

dren). Results demonstrated that the triadic

measure of competitive coparenting and the

dyadic mother–child interaction characterized

by negative emotional socialization related to

children’s later externalizing behavior, even

after controlling for covariates and effects of

all other family interaction variables. Results

emphasize the importance of examining the fam-

ily holistically and provided new information

Department of Human Development and Family Sci-

ences, University of Texas at Austin, 200 W. 24th Street,

Stop A2700, Austin, TX 78712–1247 (sarah.e.murphy@

utexas.edu).

Key Words: Coparenting, emotion socialization, externaliz-

ing behaviors, family systems.

for designing more effective whole-family inter-

ventions to reduce the development of children’s

externalizing behaviors.

Externalizing behaviors in children have been

of interest to family and developmental sci-

entists because of their high prevalence and

negative impact on children’s developmental

trajectories. Broadly, externalizing behaviors

in young children include temper tantrums,

deant behavior, impulsivity, social malad-

justment, and reduced tolerance for frustration

(Cole, Michel, & Teti, 2008). Studies have

shown that about 5%–13% of preschool-aged

children display some externalizing behaviors

(Lavigne et al., 1996), whereas about 3% of

children and adolescents exhibit externalizing

behaviors to a pathological level, indicating

signs of oppositional-deant or conduct disor-

ders (Romano, Tremblay, Vitaro, Zoccolillo,

& Pagani, 2001). If untreated, externalizing

behaviors increase the likelihood of problems

in adulthood such as alcoholism, psycholog-

ical disorders, drug abuse, and maladaptive

relationships (e.g., Masten et al., 2004).

Clinicians and researchers alike have spec-

ulated about which specic family interactions

contribute to the development of children’s

externalizing behaviors. Externalizing behaviors

346 Family Relations 66 (April 2017): 346–359

DOI:10.1111/fare.12225