Coparenting and Children's Externalizing Problems (1 CE)

This course is for: Clinical Psychologists, Counselors, and Marriage & Family Therapists 

Course By: Ken Springer, Ph.D. and Kristin Ceppaluni, LMHC 

Content By: Parkes, A., Green, M., & Mitchell, K. (2019). Coparenting and parenting pathways from the couple relationship to children's behavior problems. Journal of Family Psychology, 33(2), 215-225. 

http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/fam0000492 

Course Description: Research has linked couple conflict to the development of children's externalizing behavior problems, but few studies have examined the long-term impact of positive dimensions of couple relationships, evaluated the independent effects of coparenting, or fully explored the pathways by which coparenting and other dimensions affect children's behavior. In the present study, researchers addressed these issues by analyzing two large, longitudinal datasets consisting of information obtained from parents, teachers, and children on multiple occasions between infancy and middle childhood. The researchers found that supportive couple relationships in early childhood predicted fewer externalizing problems in middle childhood. The effects of couple supportiveness were attributable in part to parenting and coparenting during the preschool years. Effects were stronger for negative parenting than for positive parenting, and for mothers' parenting than for fathers' parenting. Effects for coparenting were as strong as or stronger than effects for parenting alone. The findings have implications for interventions that support couples during the early stages of parenthood, and for better understanding how parenting and coparenting impact children's externalizing behavior problems.  

Learning Objectives:  

1. Understand the rationale for the study as well as the longitudinal approaches to gathering data from two large samples 
2. Describe the main findings of the study with respect to the impact of couple supportiveness on children's externalizing behavior problems in middle childhood 
3. Integrate the strengths and limitations of the study, and summarize the practical implications for supporting couples who have or will become parents 

Course Outline:  

• Read and understand Coparenting and parenting pathways from the couple relationship to children's behavior problems 
• Review the Course Description and Learning Objectives 
• Understand the spillover hypothesis and the framework it provides for this study 
• Understand the methods used to obtain information from parents, teachers, and children in each of the two datasets analyzed for the present study 
• Analyze the impact of couple supportiveness on externalizing problems in middle childhood 

• Analyze distinctions made between the effects of coparenting versus parenting, maternal versus paternal parenting, and negative versus positive parenting 
• Integrate the study's key findings, strengths, limitations, and practical implications 
• Work through the post-test questions, using the article as the sole basis for your answers 
• Revisit the article for any missed questions and/or to better understand the impact of couple supportiveness on children's externalizing behavior problems 

Approvals: