Marital Discord and Child Behavior Problems: A Description of Family Interactions During Treatment

Abstract

We conducted systematic observations of parent-parent interactions for 4 families undergoing behavioral parent training. The families all presented with an oppositional child and showed evidence of concurrent marital discord. Families underwent baseline, child management training (CMT), partner support training (PST), and follow-up in a multiple-baseline-across-families design. Measures of parent and child behavior were obtained by independent observers, who recorded the family interaction in the home during the evening meal and in other settings. Results showed that at baseline and CMT, parents engaged in aversive interchanges with their spouses, especially concurrently with child misbehavior. For most parents, successful implementation of the child management techniques was observed despite the aversive parental interchanges. Low rates of supportive interchanges were observed. During PST, aversive behavior decreased and problem solving increased for the majority of parents. Little change was noted for supportive behaviors. The results support the theories of Patterson and Reid (1984) and others, which emphasize the functional relationship of aggressive child behaviors to marital and other family interactional systems.