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Direct and indirect transmission of relationship functioning across generations.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Ehrensaft, MK; Knous-Westfall, HM; Cohen, P
Published in: J Fam Psychol
December 2011

Relationship functioning is assumed to propagate across subsequent generations, but most studies have lacked appropriate methodologies to test this assumption prospectively. In a randomly selected sample of youth (N = 821) followed prospectively for over 25 years across multiple generations, we examined the association of romantic engagement (i.e., emotional involvement and closeness) between parents with offspring romantic relationship quality. We tested two developmental pathways linking parents' romantic engagement with offspring adult romantic relationship quality, the first operating via parenting practices, and the second operating via adolescent depression. Parents' romantic engagement predicted offspring romantic relationship quality a mean of 17 years later, net age and socioeconomic status. Results supported a developmental pathway from parents' romantic engagement at offspring mean age 14, to parenting at offspring mean age 16, to offspring socioemotional functioning at mean age 22, and offspring romantic relationship quality at mean age 33. However, the influence of parents' romantic engagement on offsprings' adult romantic relationship quality does not appear to operate via a pathway of adolescent depression. Implications for prevention are discussed.

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Published In

J Fam Psychol

DOI

EISSN

1939-1293

Publication Date

December 2011

Volume

25

Issue

6

Start / End Page

942 / 952

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Young Adult
  • Time Factors
  • Sexual Partners
  • Prospective Studies
  • Parents
  • Parenting
  • Models, Psychological
  • Male
  • Interpersonal Relations
  • Intergenerational Relations
 

Citation

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Ehrensaft, M. K., Knous-Westfall, H. M., & Cohen, P. (2011). Direct and indirect transmission of relationship functioning across generations. J Fam Psychol, 25(6), 942–952. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0025606
Ehrensaft, Miriam K., Heather M. Knous-Westfall, and Patricia Cohen. “Direct and indirect transmission of relationship functioning across generations.J Fam Psychol 25, no. 6 (December 2011): 942–52. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0025606.
Ehrensaft MK, Knous-Westfall HM, Cohen P. Direct and indirect transmission of relationship functioning across generations. J Fam Psychol. 2011 Dec;25(6):942–52.
Ehrensaft, Miriam K., et al. “Direct and indirect transmission of relationship functioning across generations.J Fam Psychol, vol. 25, no. 6, Dec. 2011, pp. 942–52. Pubmed, doi:10.1037/a0025606.
Ehrensaft MK, Knous-Westfall HM, Cohen P. Direct and indirect transmission of relationship functioning across generations. J Fam Psychol. 2011 Dec;25(6):942–952.

Published In

J Fam Psychol

DOI

EISSN

1939-1293

Publication Date

December 2011

Volume

25

Issue

6

Start / End Page

942 / 952

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Young Adult
  • Time Factors
  • Sexual Partners
  • Prospective Studies
  • Parents
  • Parenting
  • Models, Psychological
  • Male
  • Interpersonal Relations
  • Intergenerational Relations