Search

The purpose of this study was to assess the factor structure and the measurement invariance of the Coparenting Relationship Scale (CRS) across 10 countries based on the seven-factor coparenting model (i.e., Coparenting Agreement, Coparenting Closeness, Exposure to Conflict, Coparenting Support, Endorsement of Partner's Parenting; Division of Labor) proposed by Feinberg (2003). The results of research on coparenting from numerous countries have documented its foundational importance for parent mental health, family relationship quality, child development, and psychopathology. Yet, a cross-country perspective is still lacking. Such a perspective can provide insight into which dimensions of coparenting are universally recognized and which are especially prone to variation. A unique multinational data set, comprised of 15 individual studies collected across 10 countries (Belgium, Brazil, China, Israel, Italy, Japan, Portugal, Switzerland, Turkey, USA) in nine languages was established (N = 9,292; 51.1% mothers). Measurement invariance analyses were conducted. A six-factor structure (original seven factors minus Division of Labor) of the measure was consistent across the different contexts and measurement invariance was achieved at the configural level. There was no support for metric or scalar invariance. These findings provide a basis for the CRS to be used across countries and should inspire future quantitative and qualitative research in cross-country coparenting research to understand what aspects are universal and what aspects of coparenting are linked to specific material, relational, or ideational conditions that underlie high-quality coparenting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite children's frequent exposure to psychological and physical intimate partner aggression (IPA) and associated long-term consequences, little is known about children's immediate, within-incident reactions to IPA. Additionally, differences in reactions to IPA based on exposure to within-incident "spillover" of aggression across interparental and parent-child dyads have previously remained unexamined. Parents of children age 2.5 years at study commencement (N = 203 from 111 families) reported on incidents of family aggression four times for 1 year. Among select IPA incidents with the child present (n = 163 incidents from 73 families), IPA severity and children's exposure to aggression spillover were uniquely associated with children's expression of greater fear. Moreover, children unexposed to spillover experienced high fear only during relatively severe IPA incidents, whereas spillover-exposed children experienced high fear regardless of IPA severity (supporting observations of fear reactivity in response to low-level threats). Additionally, IPA severity positively predicted, and spillover exposure negatively predicted, children's attempts to make peace or solve the problem for their parents. Further, spillover-exposed children were more likely to withdraw or attempt to make peace during relatively more severe incidents of IPA. Thus, spillover-exposed children may manage their fear during relatively severe IPA incidents by withdrawing and/or engaging in active peacemaking behaviors but not by using other methods that may increase risk of aggression turning toward them. These results extend existing research, illustrate the unique predictive value of within-incident aggression spillover, and provide a foundation for understanding mechanisms through which IPA affects children in a diversity of ways. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined longitudinal change in coparenting support and conflict for married parents during their child's adolescence, and the links between financial, work, and community factors and coparenting support and conflict. We utilized an ecological perspective, drawing on five waves of data from 635 dual-earner families with adolescents (M = 11.29, SD = .48 years old at Time 1). Applying a multilevel modeling approach and using reports from mothers and fathers we examined: (a) change in coparenting support and conflict over six years; (b) correlated change in contextual factors (financial strain, work hours and satisfaction, and community cohesion) with change in coparenting; and (c) differences in associations for mothers versus fathers. Findings revealed a decline over six years in perceptions of partner coparenting support for mothers and fathers, but no significant change in perceived coparenting conflict. Changes in financial strain, work characteristics, and community cohesion were associated with change in coparenting support and conflict in expected directions; interactions by parent gender suggest that mothers' reports of coparenting quality are more closely linked to some contextual influences than fathers' reports. Discussion centers on the implications of social contexts for coparenting at a critical period in youth development. (PsycINFO Database Record [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although interparental conflict (IPC) has been linked directly and indirectly (via adolescents' appraisals) with a wide range of adolescent outcomes, little is known about the implications of IPC and related adolescent threat appraisals for substance use. Drawing on the cognitive-contextual framework, we test competing hypotheses about how IPC may impact adolescent substance use outcomes, specifically testing whether (a) threat appraisals are directly related to escalation in alcohol and tobacco use over adolescence, or (b) threat appraisals are indirectly associated with substance use through their impact on adolescent internalizing problems. Family data from 768 2-caregiver families were analyzed for this study. Adolescents (53% female) were followed on 7 occasions starting in the fall of 6th grade (mean age = 11.3 years) through the spring of 11th grade. IPC and family demographic data were collected from parents. Youth provided data on their appraisals of conflict, internalizing problems, and substance use. Using longitudinal growth curve models, findings supported threat appraisals as a direct risk factor for escalating cigarette use, but not escalating alcohol use, during adolescence. In the alcohol trajectory model, IPC was a direct predictor of increases in alcohol use over time. These findings indicate that high levels of threat appraisals are a specific and direct risk for greater increases in cigarette use over the course of adolescence and that IPC confers risk for increasing rates of alcohol use over adolescence. (PsycINFO Database Record [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-term studies evaluating threat appraisals as an intervening variable linking interparental conflict (IPC) and internalizing problems are lacking, as are longitudinal studies evaluating the role of the broader family context in these models. Guided by the cognitive-contextual framework, this study followed 225 adolescents (53% females) and their families from age 11 into young adulthood (age 19.6) to evaluate the long-term implications of IPC and threat appraisals for young adult internalizing symptoms. First, a long-term mediation model revealed that increases in IPC from age 11 to 14 (but not initial levels) best accounted for adolescent threat appraisals at age 14. In turn, threat appraisals mediated the association between IPC and young adult (age 19.6) internalizing problems. Second, the family climate—defined as high levels of cohesion and organization—moderated the relation between IPC and threat appraisals. Adolescents in families that experienced declines in positive family climate and increasing IPC had the highest threat appraisals; however, families that maintained (or increased in) positive family climate were protective against increasing IPC. Interestingly, the combination of decreasing IPC and decreasing positive family climate corresponded with the lowest threat appraisals in the sample, contrary to expectations. This finding seems consistent with a family disengagement perspective which may be less threatening to adolescents but may confer risk for other problem outcomes. This study underscores the importance of IPC and threat appraisals during adolescence, and offers new insights into the role of the family climate in protecting against escalating IPC for young adult internalizing risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines long-term effects of a transition to parenthood program, Family Foundations, designed to enhance child outcomes through a strategic focus on supporting the coparenting relationship. Roughly 5 to 7 years after baseline (pregnancy), parent and teacher reports of internalizing and externalizing problems and school adjustment were collected by mail for 98 children born to couples enrolled in the randomized trial. Teachers reported significantly lower levels of internalizing problems among children in the intervention group compared with children in the control group and, consistent with prior findings at age 3, lower levels of externalizing problems for boys in the intervention group. Baseline level of observed couple negative communication moderated intervention effects for parent and teacher report of child adjustment and teacher report of school adjustment and adaptation. Effect sizes ranged from 0.40 to 0.98. Results indicate that relatively brief preventive programs for couples at the transition to parenthood have the capacity to promote long-term positive benefits for children's adjustment. Although we attended to missing data issues in several ways, high levels of attrition in this long-term follow-up study is a cause for caution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the ability of a psychosocial prevention program implemented through childbirth education programs to enhance the coparental and couple relationship, parental mental health, the parent-child relationship, and child outcomes. A sample of 169 heterosexual, adult couples expecting their first child was randomized to intervention and control conditions. The intervention families participated in Family Foundations, a series of eight classes delivered before and after birth, which was designed as a universal prevention program (i.e., applicable to all couples, not just those at high risk). Intent-to-treat analyses utilizing data collected from child age 6 months through 3 years indicated significant program effects on parental stress and self-efficacy, coparenting, harsh parenting, and children's emotional adjustment among all families, and maternal depression among cohabiting couples. Among families of boys, program effects were found for child behavior problems and couple relationship quality. These results indicate that a universal prevention approach at the transition to parenthood focused on enhancing family relationships can have a significant and substantial positive impact on parent and child well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the ability of a theoretically driven, psychosocial prevention program implemented through childbirth education programs to enhance the coparental relationship, parental mental health, the parent-child relationship, and infant emotional and physiological regulation. A sample of 169 heterosexual, adult couples who were expecting their 1st child was randomized to intervention and control conditions. The intervention families participated in Family Foundations, a series of 8 classes, delivered before and after birth, that was designed as a universal prevention program (i.e., it was applicable to all couples, not just those at high risk). Intent-to-treat analyses indicated significant program effects on coparental support, maternal depression and anxiety, distress in the parent-child relationship, and several indicators of infant regulation. Intervention effects were not moderated by income, but greater positive impact of the program was found for lower educated parents and for families with a father who reported higher levels of insecure attachment in close relationships. These findings support the view that coparenting is a potentially malleable intervention target that may influence family relationships as well as parent and child well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relation between adolescent negative adjustment and differences in parent-child ratings of parents' warmth and negativity was examined with a national sample of 720 families. It was predicted that perceptual differences (PDs) would be linked to more negative adjustment. Adjustment was regressed on PDs, which were calculated as absolute differences between parent and child ratings of parenting. Results showed that PDs were significantly associated with adjustment independent of the level of parenting behavior. Associations differed by gender for PDs over maternal verbal aggression. Some of the most important results were curvilinear effects indicating that both high and low, but not medium, levels of PDs are linked with maladjustment. Finally, differences between younger and older adolescents were found: The linear relationship between PDs over parental negativity and maladjustment disappeared for older adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parents' management of their children's sibling relationships, or sibling-focused parenting, has substantial theoretical and practical importance but is rarely studied. This study's goals were to describe dimensions of sibling-focused parenting and to examine sociocultural resources and challenges as potential correlates among Latinx mothers and fathers in 262 families with two children in middle childhood. Families were recruited from 11 public elementary schools, and caregivers (248 mother figures; 118 father figures) participated in a home visit and phone interviews at the onset of the study. Sibling-focused parenting included three dimensions: positive guidance (10 items), nonintervention (four items), and authoritarian control (five items). Parents rated positive guidance as their most frequent strategy, and comparisons of mothers and fathers from the same families revealed that mothers engaged in more sibling-focused parenting overall than fathers. Regarding correlates, mothers' familism values and mothers' and fathers' family cohesion reports were associated with more positive guidance and mothers' cohesion was negatively related to nonintervention in sibling conflicts. For mothers only, parenting stress was linked to all three dimensions of sibling-focused parenting—negatively to guidance and positively to authoritarian control and nonintervention; maternal depressive symptoms were positively linked to authoritarian control. Economic hardship was not a significant correlate of any dimension. Findings suggest that sibling-focused parenting is a key domain of parenting in need of further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adolescent antisocial behavior (ASB) can have long-term individual and societal consequences. Much of the research on the development of ASB considers risk and protective factors in isolation or as cumulative indices, likely overlooking the co-occurring and interacting nature of these factors. Guided by theories of ASB risk (i.e., coercive family process, disengagement), this study uses latent profile analysis to evaluate whether there are subgroups of families in the population that conform to specific constellations of risk factors prescribed by established theories of risk for ASB, and whether subgroup membership confers differential risk for different ASBs. We leveraged a large sample of adolescents in Fall, Grade 6 (N = 5,300; Mage = 11.8; 50.9% female) for subgroup analysis, and predicted aggression, antisocial peer behavior, and substance use in Spring, Grade 8. Four family profiles were identified: Coercive (15%), characterized by high family conflict, low positive family climate, low parental involvement, low effective discipline, low adolescent positive engagement, and low parental knowledge; Disengaged (41%), characterized by low positive family climate, low parental involvement, low adolescent positive engagement, and low parental knowledge; Permissive (11%), characterized by high parental involvement, low effective discipline, high adolescent positive engagement, high parental knowledge, and high family conflict; and High Functioning (34% prevalence). In turn, group membership predicted long-term outcomes. Adolescents in Coercive families were at highest risk for ASB during Grade 8, followed by those in Disengaged and Permissive profiles; all three of which were at greater risk than adolescents in High Functioning families for every outcome. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the current study was to examine contextual (daily relationship quality, daily stressors, daily work hours), parent (daily negative emotions, gender), and child factors (daily child-induced parenting stress) as predictors of mothers' and fathers' perceptions of daily coparenting quality. Mothers and fathers from 174 families completed a 14-day diary study. Utilizing multilevel modeling, our results suggest that daily coparenting is multidetermined. Indeed, daily fluctuations in coparenting were predicted by similar daily fluctuations in couple relationship quality, parent negative mood, parenting stress, and father work hours. Moreover, as daily risk factors accumulated the quality of daily coparenting deteriorated further, suggesting that a buildup of stressors and daily difficulties may be particularly detrimental to parents' abilities to cooperate with one another and coordinate their parenting together on a daily basis. Overall, our results suggest that there are many avenues through which we can intervene in the family system to improve the quality of daily coparenting. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study examined parenting stress (disaggregated into personal distress and child rearing stress) at 12 months postpartum as a mediator of the longitudinal association between parental negative affectivity at 6 months postpartum and harsh parenting at 3 years postpartum for first-time parents with a child transitioning from late toddlerhood to the early preschool years. Analyses were conducted using Mediation for Actor Partner Interdependence Modeling in a sample of 164 couples who participated in a randomized controlled trial of a universal, couple-based transition to parenthood program. There were indirect actor effects of negative affect on a parent's own harsh parenting through both dimensions of parenting stress, with a stronger mediating effect for personal distress than child rearing stress. There were also indirect partner effects of negative affect on one's partner's harsh parenting through the partner's parenting stress, with a stronger indirect partner effect from mothers' negative affect to fathers' harsh parenting than vice versa. Specifically, the mediating effect of personal distress was found for both mothers and fathers, whereas the mediating effect of child rearing stress was found from mothers' negative affect to fathers' harsh parenting only. Findings highlight the importance of a dyadic approach in examining the longitudinal association between negative affect and harsh parenting and suggest that reducing parenting stress in the first year postpartum may decrease the risk of future harsh parenting among couples in which one or both partners experience negative affectivity. (PsycINFO Database Record [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Guided by family systems and ecological theories, this study examined the multicontextual implications of family, school, and individual domains for adolescents' school success. The first goal of this study was to examine reciprocal influences among family climate, school attachment, and academic self-regulation (ASR) during the middle school years. The second goal was to test the relative impact of each of these domains on adolescents' school adjustment and academic achievement after the transition to high school. We applied a cross-lag structural equation modeling approach to longitudinal data from 979 students in the 6th grade and their families, followed over 5 measurement occasions, from 6th through 9th grade. Controlling for family income, parent education, and adolescent gender, the results revealed reciprocal relationships between the family climate and school attachment over time; both of these factors were related to increases in ASR over time. In turn, ASR was a robust predictor of academic success, with unique associations with school adjustment and academic achievement. Family climate and school adjustment had modest to marginal associations with school adjustment, and no association with academic achievement. Applications of these findings for family school interventions are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This randomized trial tested the impact of an established prevention program for first-time parents, Family Foundations, adapted for low-income mothers and fathers as a series of sessions provided to couples in their homes. To assess program impact, we recruited and randomly assigned a sample of 150 low-income adult mother–father dyads (not necessarily still romantically involved, cohabiting, or married) during pregnancy or shortly after birth. The randomly assigned intervention families participated in Family Foundations Home Visiting (FFHV), consisting of 11 in-home sessions focusing on parental cooperation, collaboration, and conflict management to support children's development. Complier average causal effect (CACE) analysis was used to examine program impact on parental adjustment and parenting for families completing nine or more program sessions. Results indicated significant positive complier effects for mothers' and fathers' reports of depression, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms, coping with stress, and psychological aggression by fathers toward mothers at post-intervention, controlling for pre-intervention scores. Intervention parents also demonstrated higher levels of affection, engagement, and sensitivity with the infant based on observer coding of videotaped parent–child interactions. These findings indicate that the focus of Family Foundations on enhancing coparenting offers similar benefits for low-income parents and children who are compliers as has the group-format Family Foundations (FF) version in trials with universal samples of cohabiting or married parents. Results are discussed in terms of implications for home visiting, engaging fathers, and optimizing child outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relationship difficulties are common during the transition to parenthood and may persist for years. Strategies that enhance couples' daily relational experiences early in the parenting years may serve a protective role. In general, engaging in a capitalization attempt (i.e., sharing personal good news) with one's romantic partner and perceiving the partner to be responsive are associated with better relationship outcomes among committed couples. However, it is unknown whether these relational benefits extend to the early parenting years or to other relational domains such as coparenting, which plays a central role in family functioning. The current study examined same-day associations between couples' capitalization process and relationship closeness and perceived coparenting support in a dyadic context during the first year of parenthood. A subsample of primarily non-Hispanic White coresident mixed-gender couples who participated in a randomized controlled trial of a transition to parenthood program (N = 141) completed daily diaries at 10 months postpartum for 8 consecutive days. On days when mothers shared, both partners reported greater closeness. On days when fathers shared, mothers reported greater closeness and perceived coparenting support. Furthermore, perceived partner responsiveness was associated with greater closeness for both partners and greater coparenting support for fathers. Fathers also perceived greater closeness and coparenting support on days when mothers shared about the child. Findings highlight the potential benefits of capitalization in early parenthood for both closeness and perceived coparenting support and suggest that capitalization may be a low cost, high yield strategy for enhancing new parents' daily relational experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We tested an integrative model of individual and dyadic variables contributing to intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration. Based on the vulnerability-stress-adaptation (VSA) model, we hypothesized that three "enduring vulnerabilities" (i.e., antisocial behavior, hostility, and depressive symptoms) would be associated with a "maladaptive process" (i.e., negative relationship attributions) that would lead to difficulties in couple conflict resolution, thus leading to IPV. Among a community sample of 167 heterosexual couples who were expecting their first child, we used an actor-partner interdependence model to account for the dyadic nature of conflict and IPV, as well as a hurdle count model to improve upon prior methods for modeling IPV data. Study results provided general support for the integrative model, demonstrating the importance of considering couple conflict in the prediction of IPV and showing the relative importance of multiple predictor variables. Gender symmetry was observed for the prediction of IPV occurrence, with gender differences emerging in the prediction of IPV frequency. Relatively speaking, the prediction of IPV frequency appeared to be a function of enduring vulnerabilities among men, but a function of couple conflict among women. Results also revealed important cross-gender effects in the prediction of IPV, reflecting the inherently dyadic nature of IPV, particularly in the case of "common couple violence." Future research using longitudinal designs is necessary to verify the conclusions suggested by the current results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the ability of a theoretically driven, psychosocial prevention program implemented through childbirth education programs to enhance the coparental relationship, parental mental health, the parent-child relationship, and infant emotional and physiological regulation. A sample of 169 heterosexual, adult couples who were expecting their 1st child was randomized to intervention and control conditions. The intervention families participated in Family Foundations, a series of 8 classes, delivered before and after birth, that was designed as a universal prevention program (i.e., it was applicable to all couples, not just those at high risk). Intent-to-treat analyses indicated significant program effects on coparental support, maternal depression and anxiety, distress in the parent-child relationship, and several indicators of infant regulation. Intervention effects were not moderated by income, but greater positive impact of the program was found for lower educated parents and for families with a father who reported higher levels of insecure attachment in close relationships. These findings support the view that coparenting is a potentially malleable intervention target that may influence family relationships as well as parent and child well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cross-sectional research has suggested that posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom severity may be an important predictor of family violence perpetration; however, causal inference is limited by the absence of studies designed to prospectively predict family violence by PTSD symptoms. In the current study, PTSD symptoms were assessed among 250 trauma-exposed heterosexual couples 10 months after having their 1st child. The number of acts of psychological and physical intimate partner aggression (IPA) and parent-to-child aggression (PCA) that occurred during the past year was assessed at 10 and 24 months postpartum to account for stability in family violence perpetration when prospectively predicting perpetration. Longitudinal actor-partner interdependence models revealed that women's and men's PTSD symptoms positively predicted increases in the frequency of their own perpetration of psychological and physical IPA as well as psychological PCA. Additionally, partners' PTSD symptoms prospectively predicted psychological and physical IPA perpetration but not psychological or physical PCA perpetration, suggesting that partners' PTSD symptoms may directly impact dyadic processes during incidents of IPA but may not generally affect the family environment in a way that potentiates all forms of aggression. No significant gender differences were revealed. Overall, results of the current study largely support existing research and theory while clarifying inconsistencies that have emerged when examining cross-sectional associations. Further, the current results highlight the potential utility of PTSD treatment as an avenue for aggression prevention and intervention efforts during the early parenting years. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The couple and coparenting relationships are demonstrated to be prospectively and bidirectionally associated over months to years during the early parenting years. However, little is known about these associations at the daily level within the first year of parenthood, when coparenting first emerges. The goal of the current study was to examine the association between couples' daily feelings of relationship closeness and coparenting support in first-time parents and determine directionality of these effects using a dyadic daily diary design. At 10 months postpartum, heterosexual couples (N = 141 dyads) completed daily diaries for 8 consecutive days. An autoregressive cross-lagged model was incorporated within an Actor Partner Interdependence Modeling framework to examine at the daily level: (a) within-person cross-day associations between relationship closeness and coparenting support, (b) cross-partner cross-day associations within relationship closeness and coparenting support, (c) cross-partner cross-day associations between relationship closeness and coparenting support, and (d) gender differences in these associations. Results revealed a prospective, within person bidirectional link between daily relationship closeness and perceived coparenting support for both mothers and fathers. Additionally, an indirect effect from mothers' experiences of coparenting support to fathers' relationship closeness through fathers' experiences of coparenting support was found at the daily level. Findings highlight the interdependent nature of the couple and coparenting relationship at the daily level during the first year of parenthood and suggest that mothers' feeling supported by their coparenting partners may facilitate a "virtuous cycle" between coparenting support and relationship closeness early in the coparenting relationship. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trauma exposure is a consistent correlate of intimate partner aggression (IPA) and parent-to-child aggression (PCA) perpetration, and difficulties with emotions (particularly fear and anger) are hypothesized to underlie these relations. However, the absence of knowledge of the immediate, contextual influence of emotions on aggression renders existing conclusions tenuous. This study illustrates a new method for studying contextual influences on aggressive behavior. Quarterly for 1 year, 94 men and 109 women with children age 2.5 years at study commencement were interviewed to measure the sequence of behaviors during aggressive incidents as well as the intensity of their emotions immediately prior to initiation of aggression. Within aggressive incidents, the number of acts of men's PCA was predicted by men's greater fear, anger, and trauma exposure, and the positive association between men's trauma exposure and PCA perpetration was especially strong under conditions of high fear and anger. In contrast, men's IPA was predicted by greater fear and anger, but not trauma exposure. Men with low trauma exposure engaged in more IPA under conditions of high fear; among men with high trauma exposure, fear inhibited their IPA persistence. Trauma exposure and fear interacted in the same manner to predict women's IPA, but many other findings among men did not generalize to women's aggression. This study illuminates the utility of simultaneously examining aggression across genders and family dyads, and serves as a foundation for refining theories of trauma and family aggression to account for emotion as a factor that can both motivate and inhibit aggression. (PsycINFO Database Record [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The couple and coparenting relationship are theorized to influence each other in a reciprocal manner over time. Empirical evidence demonstrates cross-sectional associations between the 2 as well as prospective predictions of coparenting by relationship quality and vice versa. However, less is known about the longitudinal reciprocity between the couple relationship and coparenting from the perspective of both parents. The current study sought to examine longitudinal associations between relationship quality and coparenting support/undermining across the transition to parenthood from a dyadic perspective. Participants were 164 cohabiting heterosexual couples expecting their 1st child, assessed during pregnancy and at 6 and 36 months after birth. Actor partner interdependence modeling was used to examine, for both men and women, (a) stability over time in relationship quality and coparenting, (b) reciprocal associations between relationship quality and coparenting support/undermining, and (c) the gender differences in those associations. Moderate rank-order stability in relationship quality and coparenting support/undermining across the 1st 3 years of parenthood was demonstrated. For women, but not men, findings suggested longitudinal reciprocal associations between relationship quality and coparenting support/undermining. Specifically, our findings suggested that prenatal relationship quality sets the stage for coparenting functioning after birth for both men and women but that coparenting functioning is then connected to subsequent feelings about the romantic relationship for only women. (PsycINFO Database Record [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]