Journal of Family Psychology

Journal of Family Psychology: Past, present, and future.
This issue marks the inception of my term as editor of the Journal of Family Psychology (JFP). The journal, in its 24th year, is like a young adult. It has achieved a level of professional identity, independence, and competence consistent with this developmental phase. I feel honored and privileged to be at the helm of the journal at a time at this juncture of young adulthood. As the editorial torch is passed to me, I am mindful of the significant responsibilities that have been entrusted to me. I conceptualize my role as that of mentor, guide, and catalyst of the ongoing evolution and success of JFP. The journal aims to provide a platform that supports the transmission of new scholarly discoveries in the field and I am excited about offering a structure that supports family psychology scholars in building upon our intellectual treasures and advancing our understanding about couples and families in novel and meaningful ways. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)
Making sense of family conflict: Intimate partner violence and preschoolers’ externalizing problems.
This research examines relations among parental intimate partner violence (IPV), preschoolers’ narrative coherence about family conflict situations, and preschoolers’ externalizing problems. Participants were 57 mothers and their 4- to 5-year-old children. Mothers provided data on IPV and children’s externalizing problems. Narrative coherence was coded from children’s play narratives in response to story stems from the MacArthur Story Stem Battery. Results are consistent with theory suggesting that exposure to IPV may adversely affect preschoolers’ ability to understand family conflict situations in an organized manner, which in turn may contribute to their externalizing problems. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)
Child maltreatment moderates the association of MAOA with symptoms of depression and antisocial personality disorder.
There is a growing body of data indicating that Gene × Child Maltreatment interactions at monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) play a role in vulnerability to symptoms of antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) but not major depression (MD). Using a sample of 538 participants from the Iowa Adoption Studies, we introduce a conceptual model that highlights two distinct pathways from child maltreatment to symptoms of MD, suggesting that maltreatment has different effects depending on genotype and highlighting the importance of including the indirect pathway through ASPD. As predicted by the model, high activity alleles predispose to symptoms of MD in the context of child maltreatment whereas low activity alleles predispose to symptoms of ASPD. We conclude that the Gene × Environment interplay at this locus (MAOA) contributes to both symptoms of ASPD and MD and that careful specification of child maltreatment may be essential if genetic association research is to produce replicable results. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)
Recognition of wives’ emotional expressions: A mechanism in the relationship between psychopathology and intimate partner violence perpetration.
Among a community sample of 88 couples, husbands’ emotion recognition skills were examined as a mechanism accounting for the relationships between two dimensions of psychopathology that commonly describe violent husbands (i.e., borderline/dysphoric and psychopathic personality characteristics) and their perpetration of intimate partner violence (IPV). Husbands’ diminished sensitivity to their wives’ expressions of happiness partially mediated the relationship between their borderline/dysphoric characteristics and their IPV perpetration, supporting Dutton’s (1995) theory of IPV. These relationships were specific to expressions displayed by husbands’ wives (as opposed to unfamiliar men and women), demonstrating the significance of the intimate relationship. Partial support was found for Blair’s (1995) violence inhibition mechanism model, such that husbands’ IPV was associated with their diminished sensitivity to expressions of fear and their psychopathy was associated with misidentifying fearful expressions as neutral. However, the strength of husbands’ diminished sensitivity to fear as a mediator of the psychopathy–IPV relationship was suboptimal. Moreover, sensitivity to wives’ expressions of happiness also mediated the psychopathy–IPV relationship, potentially because of overlap in psychopathology constructs or inadequate examination of the temporal specificity of the two theories tested. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)
A seven-year investigation of marital expectations and marriage among urban, low-income, African American adolescent mothers.
Welfare reform has targeted marriage promotion among low-income women. This study explores patterns of marital expectations and marriage among 181 urban, low-income, African American adolescent mothers and their mothers. Using PROC TRAJ to analyze developmental trajectories of adolescent mother–grandmother relationship quality over 24 months, we categorized relationships as either high or low support. We examined the effects of intergenerational marriage models and adolescent mother–grandmother relationship quality on marital expectations and marriage over the first 7 years postpartum. At 24 months, half (52%) of adolescent mothers expected to marry, but marital expectations did not predict marriage. Marital expectations were associated with concurrent involvement in a romantic relationship, not intergenerational marriage models or a supportive adolescent mother–grandmother relationship. After 7 years, 14% of adolescent mothers were married. Married mothers lived in families characterized by the joint effects of intergenerational marriage models and supportive adolescent mother–grandmother relationships. They were older and had more children than did single mothers, suggesting that they were in a family formation phase of life. Policies that promote the education and employment opportunities necessary to support a family are needed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)
Do African American mothers really “love” their sons and “raise” their daughters?
This study assessed 1500 adolescents from the National Longitudinal Study of Youth to test the hypothesis that African American mothers differentially socialize their girls and boys. The results showed that later-born boys had fewer chores, argued more with their mothers, lived in less cognitively stimulating homes, and were not allowed to make the same decisions as were the girls or firstborn boys at the same age. The later-born boys were also lowest in achievement and highest in externalizing behaviors. Parenting differences accounted for the achievement differences but not for the externalizing behavior differences. It was concluded that the later-born boys would achieve at the same rates as their siblings if they were socialized in the same manner as their siblings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)
The efficacy of Structural Ecosystems Therapy for HIV medication adherence with African American women.
A systemic family therapy intervention, Structural Ecosystems Therapy (SET; Mitrani, Szapocznik, & Robinson-Batista, 2000; Szapocznik et al., 2004), has been shown to promote adaptation to living with HIV by reducing psychological distress and family hassles. This investigation examines the effect of SET on HIV medication adherence relative to a person-centered condition and a community control condition. Medication adherence was assessed on 156 trial participants. Results of a 2-part model showed that SET was significantly more likely to move women to high levels of adherence (defined as at least 95% adherence) than a person-centered therapy. Family hassles were also significantly reduced by SET, though the effect of SET on medication adherence did not appear related to this change in family hassles. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)
Family functioning among adolescents with bipolar disorder.
This study examined the characteristics of families of adolescents with bipolar disorder during or shortly following a period of mood exacerbation, using measures of family conflict, cohesion, adaptability, and expressed emotion (EE). Demographic, diagnostic, and family functioning data were collected from 58 families (mean age = 14.48; 33 female, 25 male) before entering a randomized trial of family focused treatment. Compared to scale scores reported by healthy adolescents and their families, cohesion and adaptability were more impaired in families with an adolescent with bipolar disorder. Levels of conflict, while higher than normative scores reported by healthy families, were not significantly different from scores gathered from distressed, clinic-referred families. Parents rated high in EE reported less cohesion and adaptability, and more conflict, than parents rated low in EE. Parents expressing greater numbers of critical comments also reported more conflict than those who expressed fewer criticisms. These EE group differences were not accounted for by concurrent adolescent symptom levels. Family adaptability, cohesion, and conflict may be important targets for family treatments administered during the postepisode phases of early onset bipolar disorder. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)
Do interactions between personality and social-environmental factors explain smoking development in adolescence?
This study examined if the effects of peer smoking, family smoking, and parenting on smoking development during adolescence are moderated by personality characteristics of adolescents. Longitudinal data were obtained from 428 adolescents (aged M = 13.4, SD = .50) and their parents. Latent Growth Curve models assessed the development of smoking as a function of predictors and if effects of smoking-specific parenting and exposure to smoking were moderated by adolescents’ Big Five personality dimensions. Findings revealed that having peers who smoked was associated with an increased likelihood of being a smoker at baseline. Further, significant interactions revealed that adolescents lower in agreeableness were more likely to be a smoker at baseline if they had an older sibling who smoked or if their parents engaged in frequent smoking-related discussions with them and that effective smoking-specific conversation was more strongly related to smoking at baseline among adolescents who were highly emotionally stable. No interactions predicted growth in smoking over time yet significant main effects showed that growth in smoking was associated with higher levels of extraversion, lower levels of emotional stability, and less effective parental smoking-specific communication. This study highlights the relevance of personality-target interventions and policy programs directed at parents and peers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)
Parenting intentions and desires among childless lesbian, gay, and heterosexual individuals.
Parenthood is one of the most universal and highly valued experiences of American adults. However, lesbian and gay adults in the United States are much less likely than heterosexual adults to be parents. Our goal was to explore the reasons why this is the case. Using nationally representative data from the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG), we studied parenting intentions, desires, and attitudes of childless lesbian, gay, and heterosexual individuals 15 to 44 years of age. We found that gay men and lesbian women were less likely than matched heterosexual peers to express desire for parenthood. Moreover, gay men who expressed desire to become parents were less likely than heterosexual men to express the intention to become parents; this was not true for women. Despite being less likely to express parenting desires, gay and lesbian participants endorsed the value of parenthood just as strongly as did heterosexual participants. By exploring the psychology of family formation as a function of sexual orientation, these results inform ongoing debates about sexual orientation and parenthood. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)
Psychological distress, well-being, and legal recognition in same-sex couple relationships.
Legal recognition of same-sex couple relationships provides at least some material benefits to couple members; however, few studies have examined the associations between legal recognition and psychological distress or well-being. Using an online survey sample of 2,677 lesbian, gay, bisexual (LGB) individuals, participants were placed in 4 groups: single, dating, in a committed relationship, and in a legally recognized relationship. Analyses revealed that participants in committed or legally recognized relationships reported less psychological distress (i.e., internalized homophobia, depressive symptoms, and stress) and more well-being (i.e., the presence of meaning in life) than single participants. Significant group differences and multivariate analyses indicated that participants in a legally recognized relationship reported less internalized homophobia, fewer depressive symptoms, lower levels of stress, and more meaning in their lives than those in committed relationships, even after controlling for other factors. The need for further research on the psychological benefits of legal relationship recognition for same-sex couples is discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)
Investigation of the effectiveness and social validity of the Triple P Positive Parenting Program in Japanese society.
A pilot trial provided some evidence that the Triple P Positive Parenting Program is effective with and acceptable to a Japanese population in Australia (Matsumoto, Sofronoff, & Sanders, 2007). This effectiveness study aimed to address theoretical and practical concerns related to the parent training program in community settings in Japan. The research used community resources within an ecological framework. Fifty-four Japanese families living in a Tokyo metropolitan area were randomly assigned to either a treatment or a wait-list control group. Program effects and acceptability were examined and then compared with the outcomes from the trial with Japanese parents living in Australia. The results showed significant program effects and high levels of acceptability of the program and core parenting skills, which was consistent with the pilot trial. The findings provided support for the effectiveness and sociocultural validation of Triple P in Japanese society. Intervention effects and program acceptability as well as limitations and future research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)
Family Mealtime Q-Sort: A measure of mealtime practices.
Studies outlining the protective functions of shared family meals suggest that helping families experience successful meals is an important goal. Measuring the effectiveness of family mealtime interventions necessitates the ability to quantify both the frequency and context of shared mealtimes. This article introduces a new instrument, the Family Mealtime Q-Sort, describes its development, and presents preliminary data about its psychometric properties. Data from initial evaluation of the Family Mealtime Q-Sort using family mealtime videos (N = 51) demonstrate acceptable interrater reliability, promising validity, and the ability to compare family mealtimes to an independently derived, culturally appropriate standard. The results suggest that the Q-sort adequately measures important dimensions of a successful mealtime including a positive atmosphere, making use of the shared time to engage in meaningful conversation, and proceeding with a clear plan and minimal distractions. Further research on the tool is warranted. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)
To what does perceived criticism refer? Constructive, destructive, and general criticism.
General spousal perceived criticism (PC) robustly predicts psychological symptoms and is associated with marital discord (e.g., Hooley & Teasdale, 1989); however, it is unclear what types of criticism PC encompasses (Renshaw, 2008). One hundred eighteen couples rated general PC and both constructive and destructive criticism from their own videotaped spousal discussions. Independent judges also coded criticism from the discussions. Results suggest that destructive rather than constructive criticism is related to PC. That PC primarily reflects destructive criticism may explain its utility in predicting relapse. Future studies will benefit from separate application of constructive and destructive criticism measures. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)
Effect of childhood age in foster care on the incidence of divorce in adulthood.
This retrospective study examines the long-term effect of the age at which British children were fostered in World War II on their divorce rate. A total of 859 respondents, aged 62 to 72 years, were recruited who had childhood homes in the county of Kent in southeast England during the war. Of these, 770 had been evacuated and fostered, and the remainder stayed at home. Reflecting the wartime concerns of Bowlby, Miller, and Winnicott (1939) regarding the wisdom of separating young children from their parents for a potentially long period, male and female respondents evacuated between the ages of 4 to 6 years had a significantly higher incidence of divorce compared with those in the 13- to 15-year age group. This association was found to be mediated by attachment style in which the fearful category was predominant. The relevance of these results in the broader developmental context, and to family counseling, are briefly discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)

Journal of Family Psychology - Vol 24, Iss 1