How do parents’ positive relational interactions influence children?

Interparental interactions influence children. Yet, prior research has focused almost exclusively on the role of conflict in contributing to child well-being and development. Dr. Don and his collaborators have recently developed Interparental Positivity Spillover Theory (IPST) which posits that interparental positive interactions - such as gratitude expressions, capitalization interactions, and expressions of admiration - are integral to the well-being and development of children. Specifically, IPST posits that interparental positive interactions spillover into child experiences in the form of increased (a) positive emotions, (b) enhanced perceptions of the parents, and (c) social learning, thereby beneficially contributing to key child outcomes (e.g., social behaviors, cognition, physiology) in both the short and long-term.

You can visit this link to read the full paper (Don, Simpson, Fredrickson & Algoe, 2024). Our lab at the University of Auckland is currently beginning the first study of IPST, and we are excited to collaborate with others on this research. Please get in touch if you’d like to chat more about IPST!

Hear Brian discuss IPST on Under the Cortex, the podcast for the Association for Psychological Science.

Interparental Positivity Spillover and Short-Term Child Outcomes

Interparental Positivity Spillover and Long-Term Child Outcomes