Trajectories of Willingness to Compromise and Critical Marital Conflict Behaviors after Childbirth

Abstract

Contemporary research has used group-based trajectory modeling to uncover distinct trajectories of marital conflict behaviors after childbirth. However, most studies have focused on conflict frequency, not characteristics of conflict; used stringent sample inclusion criteria, which might not capture contemporary family complexity; and have not treated the dyad as the unit of analysis. Using six waves of data from 807 married couples in the Fragile Family and Child Wellbeing (FFCWB) study, and simultaneously modeling the development of spouses’ willingness to compromise and critical marital conflict behaviors over the first nine years of the target child’s life, we identified two classes of couples. Marital conflict frequency, marital duration, race, immigration status, and the child’s birthweight differentiated between classes. Classes were also distinguished by adolescents’ perceptions of their parents’ relationship 15 years after the baseline assessment. We conclude by providing both theoretical and practical implications for changes and stability in conflict tactics.