Families who fail to stay problem-focused and instead resort to the exchange of negatively charged emotions during family problem-solving discussions tend to have more distressed adolescents and also fail to solve their disputes. The current study examined the role of 10 affects observed during family problem solving for an at-risk sample of approximately 200 boys and their parent(s). Affects were assessed at Grade 8 and at Grade 10 as part of an ongoing longitudinal study with extensive multimethod, multi-agent assessments. Stability of affect over the 2-year period as well as the relation of affect to problem-solving outcome, parent-adolescent relationship, and adolescent self-esteem was examined. Analyses were conducted by family structure (intact, single-mother, stepfather). Results provided evidence for the value of studying the role of a range of affects in family interaction andfor the predictive validity of observed affects duringfamily process.
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