PhD Oral Exam - Julie Martin, Psychology

When studying for a doctoral degree (PhD), candidates submit a thesis that provides a critical review of the current state of knowledge of the thesis subject as well as the student’s own contributions to the subject. The distinguishing criterion of doctoral graduate research is a significant and original contribution to knowledge.

Once accepted, the candidate presents the thesis orally. This oral exam is open to the public.

Abstract

Disagreements over mundane, and sometimes more serious, issues represent an integral aspect of day-to-day mother-child interactions that have important implications for children's development. Investigating mother-child conflict in at-risk families is especially important given the increased probability of psychosocial problems.

The present dissertation was designed to examine how mothers and preadolescent children manage and resolve conflicts, including associations with problem-solving, maternal risk (childhood histories, concurrent functioning, and education), and children's socio-emotional functioning across contexts. Participants (n = 95) were mothers and their 9-to 13-year-old children from the Concordia Longitudinal Risk Project; a prospective, intergenerational study of children from low SES neighborhoods screened along dimensions of aggression and social withdrawal and followed into parenthood. Observational measures were used to code mother-child conflict and problem-solving behaviors during a videotaped conflict task. A multi-informant approach was employed to assess children's social skills and problems, including children's behaviors during a standardized cognitive assessment.

Results from Study 1 demonstrated that mother-child conflict is not necessarily aversive and destructive, as well as revealed several core features of mother-child conflict during middle childhood. Whereas maternal education was uniquely associated with constructive and relatively harmonious mother-child conflict behaviors (controlling for other SES markers), the reverse was found for the effects of maternal distress at the time of testing. Maternal education also served as a protective factor for mothers with childhood histories of social withdrawal by enhancing their ability to communicate in an assertive and nonthreatening manner. Results from Study 2 underscored the importance of flexible and problem-focused behaviors in promoting mother-child problem-solving, while highlighting children's role in shaping resolution. The cross-context applicability of children's positive and negative conflict behaviors was also demonstrated, with variations across contexts and informants. Maternal childhood histories of aggression or social withdrawal negatively predicted children's IQ scores, which in turn, predicted more careless and disorganized test-taking behaviors.

Results from this series of two studies advance current knowledge on mother-child conflict in middle childhood and draw attention to contextual variables that influence these conflicts. Findings elucidate how risk and protective factors interact to contribute to pathways leading to adaptive and maladaptive outcomes in disadvantaged communities. Together, results have implications for developing policies and programs that promote healthy relationships in vulnerable families and potentially disrupt cycles of intergenerational risk.