Title page for ETD etd-07252011-173019

Type of Document

Dissertation

Author

Ajayi, Christine A

URN

etd-07252011-173019

Title

Quarrelsome Love: A Growth Curve Analysis of Interparental and Parent-Child Relationship Factors on Romantic Relationship Conflict in Emerging Adulthood

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy

Department

Family and Child Sciences, Department of

Advisory Committee

Advisor Name	Title
Lenore McWey	Committee Chair
Ming Cui	Committee Member
Wayne Denton	Committee Member
Martell Teasley	University Representative

Keywords

Relationship Conflict
Emerging Adulthood
Parent-Child

Date of Defense

2011-06-06

Availability

unrestricted

Abstract

An increase in romantic relationship conflict has been found to occur during the transition to adulthood. Previous research has made links to subsequent relationship conflict and family of origin relationship dynamics. To examine the effect of the parent and parent-child relationships on later romantic conflict, a prospective analysis was conducted. Using a nationally representative longitudinal dataset, The National Longitudinal Study of Youth 1997, the effects of interparental and parent-child relationships during the adolescent years were examined in relation to later experiences with relational conflict. An innovation of the current study was the examination of not only destructive relationship processes, but also constructive properties between parents and with their children. Growth curve analysis was used to explore the pattern of conflict over a four year consecutive time period (N = 3,346). Interparental and parent-child constructive relationship dimensions were not significant, regardless of parent or child’s gender. The parent-child destructive relationship dimension was significantly associated with relationship conflict in emerging adult romantic relationships, although it functioned differently for the mother/child and father/child relationships. Race also served as a factor in differences in experiences with high levels of relationship conflict, with higher levels of conflict in Black and Hispanic emerging adults. Future directions and implications for marriage and family therapists are discussed.

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