- amato & keith (1991): children who witness high lievels of inter-parental and family conflict that is poorly resolved show elevated rates of behavioural problems (internalising and externalising) . spill-over from interparental relationship into parent-child relationship
- baumrind (1967): extensive work on parenting style. interviews & observations
- block et al (1986): family conflict affecting children . followed up children age 3, some of whose parents had recently divorced. children whose parents had divorced had more emotional and behaviour problems - could be traced to before divorce. atmosphere of discor and tension. divorced parents disagreed about child-rearing.
- cummings (1994): emotional arousal effect of conflict on children and repeated exposure elicits greater emotional arousal - sensitization. children's reactions to simulated conflict recorded. show emotional arousal to angry adult interactions
- cummings et al (1985): 47 pairs of 2yr old children observed on 2 occasions (paired w/a differnt peer at each session). exposed to interactions between 2 adults whilst the pairs of children played. background anger. children easily distinguished between background conditions, showed distress behaviours in anger exchange. freezing behaviour, distress, voice, scolding, mediating. aggressive behaviour w/peer increased in the angry exchange. children tested after 1 month showed similar but higher distress levels
- elder et al (1992): economic pressure affects parental relationship. hostility between husband and wife. rural midwest farming crisis in agriculturally dependent communities. 76 two parent familes w/at least two children. economic pressure - hostility up in spousal relationships, warmth down. depression up in parents esp. father. knock on effect of child's development
- izard (1971): certain emotions are universally (interest, joy, sadness, anger, surpise, disgust) recognised
- maccoby & martin (1983): 2 parenting dimensions: control: permissiveness/restrictiveness. emotion: warmth/hostility
- minuchin (1988): family systems theory: mutual influence. wholeness- system is greater than sum of its parts. circulatory of influence - all components are mutually interdependent - change in one has implications for all others. integrity of subsystems - subsystems are related and each relationship can be studied in its own right
- o'connor et al (1998): longitudinal study assessed parenting and child internalising and externalising behaviour on 5 occasions (7-12 years). negative control-guilt induction, hostility, and withdrawal from realtionship. leads to child externalising behaviour problems
- o'connor et al (1998): children w/conduct problems evoke harsh parenting from their parents (not genetic, also true of adoptive parents)
- schaffer (1959): permissive & warmth - democratic
- steinberg et al (1994): autoritative parents: high levels of warmth but are also demanding of their children. set clear standards and exercise control but in a non-punitive way. allow children to develop autonomy. are attentive to their children's concerns and needs. clearly communicate standards of conduct and are measured and consistent in discipline