A Model of Children's Postdivorce Behavioral Adjustment in Maternal- and Dual-Residence Arrangements

Abstract

This article investigates the effects of parenting arrangements on children's behavioral adjustment in postdivorce situations as influenced by interparental aggression, mother-child relationships, children's self-reports of their emotional experiences, and emotional regulation strategies. The findings indicate intriguing pathways through which postdivorce parenting arrangements predict children's behavioral adjustment. Specifically, the positive impact of a dual-residence arrangement on children's adjustment is suppressed by the presence of interparental aggression, children's reported emotion of sadness, and their use of active intervention to regulate their emotions. Implications of the study are discussed.