Parent Justin, Clifton Jessica, Forehand Rex, Golub Andrew, Reid Megan, Pichler Emily R
Department of Psychology, University of Vermont.
National Development and Research Institutes, Inc.
Couple Family Psychol. 2014 Jun;3(2):67-82. doi: 10.1037/cfp0000020.
Cohabitation is a family structure experienced by many Black children; yet, we have limited understanding of how personal and interpersonal processes operate within these families to influence the parenting provided to these children. Informed by both family systems theory and the spillover hypothesis and utilizing a model to account for the interdependence of the mother and her partner, the current study sought to understand the direct and indirect associations among parental mindfulness, the mother-partner relationship quality, and firm parenting practices in a sample of 121 Black cohabiting low-income stepfamilies. Assessment consisted of standardized measurements of maternal and male cohabiting partner reports on mindfulness (i.e., acting with awareness) and relationship quality (i.e., relationship satisfaction, ability to resolve conflict, and coparenting conflict) as well as adolescent report on parenting (i.e., parent's firm control). Mindfulness was directly related to each individual's own perceptions of relationship quality and some support emerged for a cross-informant link (e.g., mother's mindfulness related to partner report of relationship quality). Furthermore, maternal perceptions of relationship quality, as well as mindfulness operating through relationship quality, were related to youth reports of maternal firm parenting. The results suggest that both mindfulness and the relationship quality of adults are variables deserving attention when studying the parenting received by children in cohabiting stepfamilies. Clinical implications of the findings are considered.
同居是许多黑人儿童所经历的一种家庭结构；然而，我们对个人和人际过程如何在这些家庭中运作以影响为这些儿童提供的养育方式了解有限。基于家庭系统理论和溢出假设，并利用一个模型来解释母亲及其伴侣的相互依存关系，本研究旨在了解121个黑人同居低收入再婚家庭样本中父母正念、母亲与伴侣的关系质量以及坚定养育方式之间的直接和间接关联。评估包括对母亲和男性同居伴侣关于正念（即有意识地行动）和关系质量（即关系满意度、解决冲突的能力和共同养育冲突）的标准化测量，以及青少年对养育方式（即父母的坚定控制）的报告。正念与每个人对关系质量的自身认知直接相关，并且出现了一些关于跨信息源联系的支持证据（例如，母亲的正念与伴侣对关系质量的报告相关）。此外，母亲对关系质量的认知，以及通过关系质量起作用的正念，与青少年对母亲坚定养育方式的报告相关。结果表明，在研究同居再婚家庭中儿童所接受养育方式时，正念以及成年人的关系质量都是值得关注的变量。研究结果的临床意义也得到了探讨。
