Doctoral Dissertations

Date of Award

8-1999

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Major

Human Ecology

Major Professor

Cheryl Buehler

Committee Members

Greer Litton Fox, Dolores Smith, Suzanne Kurth

Abstract

The purpose of this paper was to explore the role of selected youth appraisal variables in explaining the association between interparental conflict and youth problem behaviors. Two interparental conflict variables were studied:parents’ use of an overt conflict style and parents’ use of a covert conflict style.The three appraisal variables considered were youth perceived self-blame,perceived threat, and perceived resolution. Two theoretical models of the relationships among interparental conflict, youth appraisals, and youth problem behaviors were examined—a moderational and a mediational model. The sample included 337 youth living in Knox County, Tennessee. Results demonstrate support for a mediational role of youth appraisal variables. None of the youth appraisal variables moderated the association between interparental conflict and youth problem behaviors. Self-blarhe mediated five of the six examined relationships between an interparental conflict style and youth problem behaviors and perceived threat mediated three of the six tested relationships. Perceived Resolution did not serve a mediating role in any of the examined relationships.The models were examined across four subject variation characteristics—youthgender, youth age, parental marital status, and family economic hardship. Themodels did not vary by age. Variations in models by youth gender, parental marital status, and family economic hardship were found.

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