Emotional Development in the Context of Conflict by Dehon and Weems - Essay Example

?Running head: ARTICLE CRITIQUE Article Critique BY YOU YOUR SCHOOL INFO HERE HERE Article Critique In “Emotional Development in the Context of Conflict: The Indirect Effects of Interparental Violence on Children”, there are many strengths and weaknesses related to the study approach selected by the authors, Christopher Dehon and Carl F. Weems. The hypothesis of the study is that interparental violence, or violence that occurs between fathers and mothers, has an associated set of outcomes on children who are witness to this violence, causing them to either internalize or externalize either emotional or behavioral problems. Drawing on previous research studies showing this linkage, the article attempts to justify the hypothesis that interparental violence creates maternal depression which, in turn, impacts the development and emotional state of witnessing children. When coupled with dysfunctional parenting practices, it is hypothesized that children will either act aggressively or violently as a response to this violence or internalize problems, including such acts as self-defeating language or simply exhibiting characteristics that illustrate some form of self-defamation as a result of interparental violence. Using previous, existing studies on the phenomenon of interparental violence and its known correlation to childhood behavioral and emotional problems to serve as the foundation for study, the authors utilized a quantitative research approach that could measure responses statistically. To add further credibility to the study, several research instruments were utilized, including what is referred to as the Conflict Tactics Scale, an instrument which provided numerical data results associated with the frequency of violence occurring with both the mothers of children and requesting responses from youths who may or may not have witnessed interparental violence. A total of 359 women, including a large comparison sample, a group of women currently housed in shelters for battered women, and those with a known history of spousal violence. This approach added more credibility to the research study, as it provided a balanced sampling method that did not, solely, focus only on women with a history of interparental violence. It is the goal of researchers to remain completely unbiased and approach their research efforts with a reflective and unprejudiced viewpoint. The article critiqued illustrates impartiality that is absolutely required of competent researchers by selecting a diverse sample. Furthermore, the sample also included 359 children, one child selected for each recruited woman in the study, providing opportunities for children either stemming from high violence environments, limited violence environments, or no violence environments to further exemplify that internalized and externalized behavioral and emotional problems may not necessarily be caused solely by witnessing violence between parental figures. Again, this illustrates the impartiality of the researchers, making this study much more convincing and reliable. If the authors had chosen samples that included only children who have witnessed abuse, it would have limited the aforementioned credibility currently sustained by the article and not served as a well-justified quantitative approach to research. The research study managed, additionally, to utilize the appropriate instruments to measure not only historical beliefs regarding the impact of interparental violence, but additional factors such as maternal depression which would either justify or refute previous studies that served as the foundation for the approach to this research effort. This instrument, referred to in the study as the Brief Symptom Inventory, consisted of 53 different self-reporting questions on a scale between zero and four to measure the potential impact of maternal depression symptoms. This approach, to support further competency of the researchers, would assist in correlating the responses of children who had either been witnesses to interparental violence or not said witnesses to determine whether maternal depression could theoretically play a role in how children internalize or externalize their problems caused by this spousal violence. It was necessary for this study, based on previous research results from others in the research community and the model utilized to build a hypothesis, to measure the potential impact of maladaptive and incompetent parenting skills. Since it was proposed in the study’s introduction that such maladaptive parenting behaviors were believed to be linked to children externalizing or internalizing their problems, measurement of this phenomenon was crucial to justifying or refuting the given model showing the linkage between violence, maternal depression and simply poor parenting skills. It is the responsibility of researchers attempting to justify a hypothesis to include all possible measurements for all variables and phenomenon. This research study was extremely adept in finding adequate methodologies that could create a statistical set of results to ensure the study sustained validity. The authors did not leave out crucial measurement, which served as a credit to the competency of the researchers. Though this research study largely justified that there is often a direct linkage between maladaptive parenting skills, maternal depression and the development of problem behaviors with children, the study also indicated there could be indirect correlations for each phenomenon measured in the study (Dehon & Weems, 2009). The authors attempt to explain away certain discrepancies between the chosen model showing direct linkage to child outcomes by suggesting there could be genetic factors. The data gleaned through the statistical analysis, such as the chi-squared test and the root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA), indicated that a more appropriate model showing direct and indirect linkages to child outcomes might be required, thus changing the dynamics of the given model used as a foundation for research approach. This is something expected of genuine and competent researchers: to remain neutral and simply report on findings with a detached and balanced method of analysis. Though this particular research study, in practical reality, did not provide much to the research community or the general public about how to effectively build models showing the linkages (or potential linkages) to child problem behaviors, it did provide support that there are absolutely correlations between interparental violence, maternal depression and how the child decides to internalize or externalize their problem attitudes and behaviors. In personal reflection, the authors accomplished their purpose, lending support for their original hypothesis and also creating a proverbial food for thought regarding the hindrances of interparental violence. Children who are exposed to interparental violence are known to be at greater risk for social, academic and general behavioral problems (Rossman, Hughes & Rosenberg, 2000). As such, this study added credence, in the student’s perspective, to advancing knowledge of the drivers for maladaptive childhood behaviors that could assist, in the future, toward creating a model of best practice in parenting and child protectionism. References Dehon, C. & Weems, C.F. (2009). Emotional Development in the Context of Conflict: The Indirect Effects of Interparental Violence on Children, Journal of Child and Family Studies, 19, pp.287-297. Rossman, B.R., Hughes, H.M. & Rosenberg, M.S. (2000). Children in Violent Families: The Impact of Exposure. Washington: Taylor and Francis. Read More