The role of emotional responses and physiological reactivity in the marital conflict–child functioning link

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Abstract
Children's emotional responses and physiological reactivity to conflict were examined as mediators and moderators in the associations between exposure to parental marital conflict and child adjustment and cognitive problems. One hundred and eighty elementary school children participated. In response to a simulated argument, children's skin conductance level reactivity (SCLR) was examined, and their emotional responses (reported and observed anger, sadness, and fear) were assessed. A higher level of SCLR was a robust risk factor for various child outcomes, mediated boys' internalizing difficulties in the marital conflict-child functioning link, and functioned as a vulnerability factor for girls' externalizing, internalizing, and cognitive problems. Increased anger (for boys) and sadness (for girls) exacerbated adjustment difficulties related to marital conflict. Findings illustrate the aggregation of risk in relation to child and family characteristics.