Référence
Bureau, J.-F., Deneault, A.-A., Yurkowski, K., Martin, J., Quan, J., Sezlik, S., & Guérin-Marion, C. (2021). The interaction of child–father attachment and child– mother attachment in the prediction of observed coparenting. Psychology of Men & Masculinities, 22(3), 512–520.
Résumé
A number of studies have examined the role of coparenting relationships on the development of children’s attachment to their mothers and fathers. However, previous research tends to interpret this link as unidirectional, thereby ignoring the possibility that, in reverse, child–parent attachment relationships could also predict the quality of the coparenting relationship. Furthermore, there is limited work examining how the child–father and the child–mother attachment relationships may interact to predict coparenting. In response to these limitations, the current study drew from an integrative family systems framework and observational measures to examine these possible relations in biparental heterosexual families. To assess child–parent attachment security, 144 preschool-aged children (83 girls; M = 46.89 months, SD = 8.77) completed independent separation–reunion procedures with their mother and father during counterbalanced laboratory visits. During a subsequent home visit, parents engaged in triadic play with their child, from which coparenting cooperation and competition were evaluated. Results showed that child–mother and child–father attachment security were not independent predictors of coparenting; rather, their interaction significantly predicted the quality of the coparenting relationship. In line with theoretical models calling for a family systems approach, study findings highlight the importance of considering the interactive effects of child–father and child–mother attachment relationships when examining family dynamics. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)
