A Within‐Family Examination of Interparental Conflict, Cognitive Appraisals, and Adolescent Mood and Well‐Being

Interparental conflict (IPC) is a well‐established risk factor across child and adolescent development. This study disentangled situational (within‐family) and global (between‐family) appraisal processes to better map hypothesized processes to adolescents’ experiences in the family. This 21‐day daily dairy study sampled 151 caregivers and their adolescents (61.5% female). Using multilevel mediation analyses indicated that, on days when IPC was elevated, adolescents experienced more threat and self‐blame. In turn, when adolescents experienced more threat appraisals, they experienced diminished positive well‐being; whereas days when adolescents felt more self‐blame, they experienced increased negative mood and diminished positive well‐being. Statistically significant indirect effects were found for threat as a mediator of IPC and positive outcomes. Daily blame appraisals mediated IPC and adolescent angry mood.