Latent profiles of dyadic parent–child interaction and associations with triadic family interaction in early childhood

• Published date: 01 October 2024
• Author: Johanna Lindstedt,Sari Ahlqvist‐Björkroth,Niina Junttila,Riikka Korja
• Date: 01 October 2024
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/fare.13041

RESEARCH

Latent profiles of dyadic parent–child interaction and

associations with triadic family interaction in early

childhood

Johanna Lindstedt

1

| Sari Ahlqvist-Björkroth

1

|

Niina Junttila

2,3

| Riikka Korja

1

1

Department of Psychology and Speech-

Language Pathology, University of Turku,

Turku, Finland

2

Department of Teacher Education, University

of Turku, Turku, Finland

3

Department of Teacher Education, University

of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland

Correspondence Johanna Lindstedt,

Department of Psychology and Speech-

Language Pathology, University of Turku,

FIN-20014 University of Turku, Finland.

Email: johmat@utu.fi

Funding information

Turun Yliopistosäätiö; Signe ja Ane

Gyllenbergin Säätiö

Abstract

Objective: This longitudinal study examined latent profiles

of parent–child interaction and their associations with tri-

adic family interaction.

Background: A child’s development is significantly

influenced by early family relationships. Family systems

theory emphasizes the interrelations between family sub-

systems, such as parent–child and parent–parent relation-

ships, as well as the family as a whole. However, few

studies have examined the relationship between each

parent–child dyad and triadic family interaction.

Method: Fathers and mothers were separately videotaped

interacting with their child (n=120) at 4 and 18 months

and assessed using the Parent–Child Early Relational

Assessment. Triadic family interaction was evaluated at

18 months using the Family Alliance Assessment Scale

within a Lausanne Trilogue Play setting.

Results: Four latent profiles of parent–child interaction

were identified. Dyadic interaction that was characterized

by reciprocity, positive affect, and low negativity was asso-

ciated with higher family coordination. However, interac-

tion characterized by a lack of reciprocity, negativity, and

dyadic tension was related to less coordinated triadic fam-

ily interaction.

Conclusions: Well-functioning parent–child interaction

contributes to higher-quality triadic family interaction. In

contrast, challenges in early father–child interaction,

including emotional distance, a lack of positive paternal

Author note: The authors are grateful to all the families who took part in this study, the midwives for their help in recruiting them, and

the whole STEPS Study team.

Received: 20 April 2023 Revised: 2 February 2024 Accepted: 10 April 2024

DOI: 10.1111/fare.13041

This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and

reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

© 2024 The Author(s). Family Relations published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of National Council on Family Relations.

2564 Family Relations. 2024;73:2564–2581.

wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/fare

involvement, and limited mutual engagement, are linked

to lower-quality triadic family interaction.

Implications: This study highlights the importance of

supporting early parent–child relationships to promote

well-functioning and coordinated triadic family interac-

tion, and the inclusion of fathers in interventions aiming to

improve family dynamics.

KEYWORDS

father–child relationship, latent profile analysis, mother–child

relationship, the STEPS Study, triadic family interaction

Family interaction provides a fundamental context for early child development. Parents play a

crucial role as interactive partners for the child (Bretherton, 2010), and each parent–child rela-

tionship has unique and distinct interactional patterns (Bowlby, 1982; Grossmann et al., 2002;

Kochanska & Kim, 2013). During daily interactions in two-parent families, children are

exposed to triadic situations, in addition to dyadic parent–child interactions. According to the

family systems view, each individual in the family is a member of various family subsystems,

such as father–child, mother–child, marital, and coparental subsystems (Cox & Paley, 1997,

2003; Minuchin, 1985). These interactional subsystems are interrelated and affect each other

(Cox & Paley, 1997; McHale & Rasmussen, 1998).

Extensive family research has been conducted on marital and coparental subsystems and

their associations with other family systems. Regarding family interaction, there seem to be

interrelations. Maternal, but not paternal, marital satisfaction during pregnancy and postpar-

tum is linked to well-functioning family interaction (Korja et al., 2016). A decline in marital

quality may interfere with the coparenting relationship and, further, the whole-family interac-

tion (Christopher et al., 2015). However, we have considerably less knowledge about how other

subsystems, such as parent–child dyads, relate to triadic family interaction. To address this gap,

the present study examines how the quality of father–child and mother–child interactions indi-

vidually contribute to the quality of triadic family interaction in two-parent heterosexual

families.

In the present study, triadic family interaction is conceptualized as family alliance and coor-

dination based on the family alliance model (Favez et al., 2017; Fivaz-Depeursinge & Corboz-

Warnery, 1999). Triadic family interaction can be examined in the Lausanne Trilogue Play

(Fivaz-Depeursinge & Corboz-Warnery, 1999) setting, which enables the assessment of the

family’s resources for effective coping and coordination with each other while completing a task

together (Fivaz-Depeursinge & Corboz-Warnery, 1999). Achieving a family alliance with a high

level of coordination requires the fulfillment of four hierarchical interactive functions (Favez

et al., 2017). Successful interaction requires that all participants are actively involved and avail-

able, roles are appropriately defined and maintained, and family members share joint attention

and positive affect. The more these functions are fulfilled, the higher the level of coordination

and consequently the quality of the family alliance (Frascarolo et al., 2004; Tissot et al., 2014).

Family alliance types can be categorized as cooperative, conflicted, or disordered, representing

different levels of family coordination (Favez et al., 2017). In cooperative families with high

cohesion, all family members are involved, and the autonomy of each family member is

respected (Feldman, 2007). Interaction in conflicted families is characterized by interference

and competition, whereas in disordered families, one family member is systematically excluded

from the interaction (Favez et al., 2017).

The family alliance begins to develop during pregnancy and shows stability during the first

years of the child’s life (Favez, Frascarolo, & Fivaz-Depeursinge, 2006; Tissot et al., 2015).

DYADIC AND TRIADIC FAMILY RELATIONS 2565