1. Objectifs

Intentions :
«This study examined the dyadic effects of perceived conditional negative regard (T1, 6- month baby) on DA [dyadic adjustment] (T2, 12-month baby) of primiparous couples during the TTP [transition to parenthood]. Moreover, the present study aimed to assess whether stress (T1) had a potential mediating role in the relationship between perceived conditional negative regard (T1) and DA (T2).» (p. 1476)

2. Méthode

Échantillon/Matériau :
For this study, authors recruited 150 Quebec «primiparous couples (N = 300 participants) through social media, parent-baby classes, and ads in public areas (e.g., parks, community centers). […] To be eligible for this larger study, couples had to live together and had a firstborn child around 6 months of age who did not present developmental issues […]. At the first data collection (T1), babies were on average 6.20 months old […], childbearing mothers (Mage = 30.77 years […]) were mostly still on parental leave (96.5%), while their partners (Mage = 32.88 years […]) were mostly back to work (77.1% vs. 18.8% still on parental leave).» (p. 1477-1478)

Instruments :
Questionnaire

Type de traitement des données :
Analyse statistique

3. Résumé

This «study has shown that conditional negative regard is negatively associated with later DA, but not longitudinal changes in DA. As such, primiparous parents who perceived more conditional negative regard were later less adjusted in their relationship, thus confirming the first hypothesis. [The] results also support two bilateral partner effects where, for each parent, one’s perceived conditional negative regard was negatively associated with the other partner’s later DA, but not partners’ longitudinal changes in DA. […] In the context of the TTP, these results indicate that it is important for a primiparous couple’s later relational well-being that either parent does not perceive conditional negative regard. Theoretically, it highlights that a healthy relationship requires that all needs are perceived as being supported, and not perceived as being set against one another.» (p. 1485) «Another important result relates to the fact that, in [the] sample, there were no indirect links of stress to the other partner’s DA. As such, stress may hold a more internalized association (within a person) based on the link between conditional negative regard and one’s later DA, as opposed to an interactional association with one’s partner’s later DA. The lack of indirect effect between one’s conditional negative regard and partner’s later DA is likely due to our lack of significant link between one’s stress and partner’s DA.» (p. 1486)