Exposure to Interparental Conflict and Children's Adjustment and Physical Health: The Moderating Role of Vagal Tone
Abstract
Physiological regulation, as indexed by baseline vagal tone and delta vagal tone (the change in vagal tone during an attention-demanding or challenging task), was examined as a moderator in the relations between exposure to verbal and physical parental marital conflict and children's adjustment and physical health. Higher vagal tone was posited to serve a protective function (i.e., buffer) for children exposed to higher levels of marital conflict. Seventy-five 8- to 12-year-olds and their mothers completed measures of parental conflict, and children's adjustment and physical health. Children's vagal tone was assessed during baseline conditions and during exposure to an audiotaped interadult argument. Results indicate that higher vagal tone buffered children against increased externalizing, internalizing, and health problems related to exposure to more frequent marital conflict, especially verbal conflict. Further, higher levels of delta vagal tone protected boys against externalizing problems associated with verbal conflict, and health problems associated with physical conflict.
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Other studies indicate that appraisals moderate associations between interparental conflict and youth outcomes.
“others indicate that appraisals moderate associations between interparental conflict and youth outcomes (El-Sheikh & Hager, 2001; El-Sheikh, Harger, & Whitson, 2001; Kerig, 1998; Rogers & Holmbeck, 1997; Rossman & Rosenberg, 1992).”
From Interparental Conflict and Adolescents’ Romantic Relationship Conflict (2010) · cites this paper as El-Sheikh, Harger, & Whitson, 2001
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- Authors
- El-Sheikh, M., Harger, J., & Whitson, S. M.
- Affiliations
- Human Development and Family Studies, Auburn University , Auburn, AL
- Auburn University (US)
- Venue
- Child Development
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2001-11-01
- Volume
- 72
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 1617-1636
- ISSN
- 0009-3920 (ISSN-L)
- 1467-8624
- OpenAlex
- W2077085988
- Cited by
- 396
- References
- 8
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 16 · 2021: 20 · 2020: 17 · 2019: 23 · 2018: 23 · 2017: 21 · 2016: 23 · 2015: 17 · 2014: 22 · 2013: 21 · 2012: 20
- FWCI
- 7.67
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- Locations
- Child Development (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- RAND Corporation
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Attachment and Relationship Dynamics
- Social Sciences › Demography › Family Dynamics and Relationships
- Keywords
- parental conflict, marital conflict, vagal tone, child adjustment, child physical health, verbal conflict, physical conflict, buffering, externalizing problems, internalizing problems, sex differences, physiological regulation, attention-demanding tasks
- MeSH terms
- Adaptation, Psychological, Child, Communication, Conflict, Psychological, Family, Female, Health Status, Humans, Male, Marriage, Mother-Child Relations, Parents, Social Adjustment, Vagus Nerve
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