Date of Award
1987
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology
Department
Psychology
First Advisor
Mark Rapport
Abstract
The present investigation examined the relationship between children's exposure to low to moderate rates of marital discord in the familial environment and their behavior in settings external to the home as assessed by adult raters and direct observations. Sixty children (36 males, 24 females) between the ages of 6 and 13 years were estudied over the course of 3 months. Results of a multi-step analysis indicated that there was a highly significant relationship among females of low SES status between exposure to marital discord at home and being the object of peer aggression during free play activity. A significant relationship was also found between exposure to marital discord at home and externalizing behavior problems (aggression towards peers) for subsamples of male children in the present study who were younger and less intelligent. The implications of these results for understanding the complex factors affecting the relationship between marital discord and childrens' behavioral disturbances are discussed.
Recommended Citation
Clement, Dorothy Bohn, "The Relationship Between Children’s Observation of Marital Discord and Play Behavior in a Non-Clinical Sample" (1987). Open Access Dissertations. Paper 1035.
https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/oa_diss/1035
Terms of Use
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