Sexual Expression and Subsequent Marital Quality Among Partnered Older Adults.

A great deal of research has linked aspects of couples' sex lives to the quality of their relationships. Yet most of this work is with younger couples. Although sexual frequency is associated with positive marital quality, less is known regarding how sexual expression-sexual attitudes, desires, and behaviors-influences later positive and negative marital quality, particularly in older couples. Using latent class analysis and dyadic data on 620 heterosexual couples in long-term marriages from Rounds 2 and 3 of the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project, we examined how couple-level configurations of sexual expression influence later marital quality. Generally, the latent classes with more agreement on sexual expression and higher overall sexual frequency were associated with later higher positive marital quality for both wives and husbands. Sexual expression configurations were associated with wives' negative marital quality, not husbands' negative marital quality. Across classes, wives' better mental health and husbands' functional limitations were associated with later marital quality. It is essential for practitioners to recognize the relevance of sexual expression to marital quality in older couples.

Marital quality improves self- and partner-reported psychopathy among Chinese couples: A longitudinal study.

BACKGROUND: Psychopathy is closely related to many negative interpersonal outcomes in daily life, including violence. Therefore, psychopathy intervention in subclinical individuals has significant application value. OBJECTIVE: Guided by the personality-relationship transaction model and social investment theory, this study examined how marital quality affects self- and partner-rated psychopathy. We also used the actor-partner interdependence mediation model to explore the mediating effect of communication. METHODS: We examined self-reports and partner reports of psychopathy, marital quality, and communication among 260 married Chinese couples. RESULTS: The results indicated that marital quality directly influenced couples' self-rated psychopathy, with both actor and partner effects on husbands' psychopathy and actor effects on wives' psychopathy. Moreover, verbal communication had mediating effects at time 2 between marital quality at time 1 and partner-reported psychopathy at time 3. Meanwhile, the mediating effect of nonverbal communication was not significant. CONCLUSION: Our investigation of relationship effects on psychopathy revealed that the underlying mechanisms differed between self- and partner-rated psychopathy. The findings can highlight directions for exploring potential intervention strategies for subclinical psychopathy.

Marital Quality-A Neglected Player in the Prevention of Cardiovascular Diseases: A Systematic Review of Longitudinal Studies.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Marital quality (MQ) is a psychosocial factor that has been neglected in cardiovascular prevention guidelines, although its association with cardiovascular diseases has been identified in several studies. Therefore, we aim to investigate how MQ either in positive or negative dimensions affect different cardiovascular risk factors and diseases. RECENT FINDINGS: We systematically searched different databases in September 2023 for longitudinal studies conducted to assess the contribution of MQ to well-established cardiovascular risk factors and diseases. Two independent researchers screened studies and carried out data extraction and quality assessment of included ones. From 12,175 potential studies screened, 40 were included. The presence of significant heterogeneity in methodology, follow-up, and subsequent effect estimates made it unfeasible to do a meta-analysis. Despite the variation, most studies found a significant association of negative MQ measures with physical inactivity (2/2), high levels of smoking (4/5) and alcohol (3/3) use, increased metabolic syndrome risk (3/3), elevated type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) risk and poor T2DM management (3/6), elevated cardiovascular disease risk and progression (9/11), increased body weight and obesity risk (2/3), elevated blood pressure and hypertension risk (7/8). Positive MQ measures were mainly associated with improvement in blood pressure control (2/2), reduced T2DM risk and its good management (1/1), reduced body weight and obesity risk (2/2), and increased survival in cardiovascular diseases (4/4). Based on current evidence, MQ seems to play a crucial role in developing established cardiovascular risk factors and diseases and is worth considering in preventive strategies.

Loneliness and Marital Quality as Predictors of Older Adults' Insomnia Symptoms.

The current study examined associations between marital quality, loneliness, and sleep within a nationally representative sample of older adults who participated in Wave 2 of the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP). Participants (N = 559) had a spouse or partner and completed a novel sleep module that included subjective (i.e., insomnia symptoms) and objective (i.e., wake after sleep onset;WASO) markers of sleep. Upon controlling for demographics and markers of mental and physical health, a distinct pattern of findings emerged for subjective versus objective markers of sleep. Regarding subjective sleep, older adults who experienced greater loneliness reported more insomnia symptoms, but only when spousal emotional support was low-moderate. Regarding objective sleep, older adults who reported more affectionate touch from their spouse experienced less WASO. Collectively, these findings identify specific aspects of marital quality that may have unique implications for partnered older adults' subjective and objective sleep quality.

The transition to fatherhood - evaluation of an online intervention for New fathers.

This mixed-methods study explores an innovative online group intervention for new fathers. The specific aims were to investigate attendance rates, fathers' participation experiences, and the effects on their psychological well-being and marital quality. The research design included a randomized controlled trial with 122 participants split into intervention (n = 62) and comparison groups (n = 60). The study measured post-partum depression symptoms (PPD) using the Edinburgh Post-Natal Depression Scale (EPDS) and spousal relationship quality using the Israeli Marital Quality Scale (IMQS). Qualitative data were collected through session transcripts and feedback questionnaires that were completed two years post- intervention. Results reveal an 86.47% average attendance rate in the intervention groups and positive outcomes at both individual and spousal levels. Participants reported feeling a sense of normalcy, decreased loneliness, increased awareness of fatherhood transition, and becoming active co-parents. Marital quality also showed better results for the intervention group. Further research is recommended to explore online group interventions among additional groups of post-partum fathers.

Triadic family interactions at 2 years: The role of prenatal marital quality and infants' attachment configuration with mother and father.

This longitudinal study uncovered prenatal marital antecedents of infants' attachment configurations with both mother and father at 12-15 months (n = 125). We also examined the contribution of both marital quality and infants' attachment configurations (secure with both parents, insecure with both parents, secure with mother-insecure with father, and insecure with mother-secure with father) to the quality of triadic (mother-father-toddler) interactions observed two years post-birth. Couples who displayed less negative affectivity and were more emotionally attuned were more likely to have infants securely attached with father and insecurely attached with mother (vs. insecure with both parents) and they engaged in more adaptive family interactions at two years. Also, a secure infant-father attachment relationship forecast more balanced triadic family interactions, regardless of whether the infant-mother attachment was secure or insecure. In contrast, a secure infant-mother attachment relationship was related to less controlling behavior during triadic interactions, regardless of infant-father attachment security.

The Social Context of Partnered Older Adults' Insomnia Symptoms.

The current study included an examination of social factors that mitigate or exacerbate insomnia symptoms among older adults who are married or living with a partner. We first examined the unique effects of spousal support and strain on insomnia symptoms and then evaluated the degree to which extramarital social factors (e.g., friend support) moderated spousal influences. Data came from Waves 2 and 3 of the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project. Our sample consisted of 495 participants who were either married or cohabitating with a partner (M age in years = 69.84, SD = 8.08). Spousal strain-but not support-predicted higher insomnia symptoms 5 years later. Spousal influences on sleep, however, were moderated by extramarital factors in nuanced ways. Findings highlight the importance of taking into account older adults' wider social context when examining the ways in which sleep is sensitive to positive and negative aspects of marital quality.

A Cohort Comparison of Midlife Marital Quality: A Quarter Century of Change.

Marital quality has been declining among recent cohorts, but whether this pattern characterizes middle-aged and older married adults is largely unknown. The doubling of the divorce rate among persons over the age of 50 years foretells poorer quality marriages for today's midlife adults than a generation ago. Combining data on married individuals aged 50-65 years from the 1987-88 National Survey of Families and Households (NSFH) and the 2013 Families and Relationships Study, we conduct a cohort comparison of five dimensions of midlife marital quality. Today's older adults report more marital disagreement and instability as well as less fairness and interaction with their spouses than their counterparts did a generation ago. The two cohorts report comparable levels of marital happiness. Consistent with the upward trend in divorce during the second half of life, the quality of midlife marriages appears to have declined over the past quarter century.

Marital Quality and Loneliness Among Aging Vietnam-Era Combat Veterans: The Moderating Role of PTSD Symptom Severity.

OBJECTIVES: We examined links between marital quality and loneliness among aging veterans and explored whether veterans' PTSD symptom severity moderated these associations. METHODS: Data came from 269 Vietnam-Era combat veterans who had a spouse/partner (M age = 60.50). Utilizing two waves of data spanning six years, we estimated multiple regression models that included positive and negative marital quality, PTSD symptom severity, and loneliness in 2010 as predictors of loneliness in 2016. RESULTS: Facets of positive (but not negative) marital quality were associated with veterans' loneliness. Companionship - spousal affection and understanding - was associated with lower subsequent loneliness among veterans with low/moderate - but not high - PTSD symptom severity. Conversely, sociability - the degree to which one's marriage promotes socializing with others - was associated with lower subsequent loneliness regardless of PTSD symptom severity. CONCLUSIONS: Companionship and sociability were each associated with veterans' subsequent loneliness. Whereas benefits of companionship were attenuated at higher levels of PTSD symptom severity, benefits of sociability were not. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: For veterans with higher PTSD symptoms, recommending mental health treatment to decrease symptom severity may help them to reap the benefits of close/intimate relationships. However, bolstering veterans' social participation more broadly may provide an additional means of reducing their loneliness.

The effects of a nurse-led couples intervention on marital quality of couples with gynecological cancer: A clinical randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of a nurse-led couples intervention on the marital quality of couples coping with gynecological cancer. METHODS: Couples coping with gynecological cancer were randomly allocated to the intervention (n = 51) and the control (n = 53) group. The intervention group received the nurse-led couples intervention developed based on the Preliminary Live with Love Conceptual Framework plus routine nursing care. The control group received only routine nursing care. Marital quality, including marital satisfaction, marital communication, and sexual life, were measured using Olson Marital Quality Questionnaire at 3 timepoints (baseline, 2- and 3-months following baseline). Generalized estimating equation was used to examine the effectiveness of the intervention in improving marital quality. RESULTS: Patients and husbands in the intervention group had significantly improved marital satisfaction scores (Waldχ2 = 11.109, P = 0.001; Waldχ2 = 4.849, P = 0.028); the interaction between intervention and time had a significant effect on the marital communication of both patients and their husbands (Waldχ2 = 6.214, P = 0.045; Waldχ2 = 15.460, P < 0.001). Patient-reported and husband-reported sexual life was not significantly influenced by the intervention (Waldχ2 = 0.167, P = 0.683; Waldχ2 = 3.215, P = 0.073). CONCLUSIONS: The nurse-led couples intervention based on the Preliminary Live with Love Conceptual Framework improved marital satisfaction and marital communication, but not sexual life, of couples coping with gynecological cancer. The provision of professional sexual health psychology training for nurses may be crucial if nurse-led models are to truly support the sexual health of couples coping with gynecological cancer. REGISTRATION: Registered with www.chictr.org.cn (ChiCTR2000034232).

Marital quality over the life course and child well-being from childhood to early adolescence.

Research on marital quality and child well-being is currently limited by its common use of geographically constrained, homogenous, and often cross-sectional (or at least temporally limited) samples. We build upon previous work showing multiple trajectories of marital quality and data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth-1979 (NLSY79) regarding mothers and their children (inclusive of ages 5-14). We examine how indicators of child well-being are linked to parental trajectories of marital quality (happiness, communication, and conflict). Results showed children whose parents had consistently poor marital quality over the life course exhibited more internalizing and externalizing problems, poorer health, lower quality home environments, and lower math and vocabulary scores than children of parents in consistently higher-quality marriages. Group differences remained stable over time for child health, home environment, and vocabulary scores. Group differences for internalizing problems declined over time, whereas group differences increased for externalizing problems and math scores. Initial advantages for females across nearly all indicators of child well-being tended to shrink over time, with boys often moving slightly ahead by mid adolescence. We discuss the implications of these findings in regard to children's development and well-being and suggest treating marriage as a monolithic construct betrays important variation within marriage itself.

My problem or yours? Interpersonal problems and marital quality.

OBJECTIVE: Research has consistently illustrated the impact of personality on marital quality. Given the inherent dyadic nature of relationships, recent investigations have integrated spouse-rated personality to account for both spouses' perspectives. Grounded in Contemporary Integrative Interpersonal Theory, we viewed personality through an interpersonal lens and conceptualized maladaptive interpersonal functioning as interpersonal problems. The present study examined the incremental validity of spouse-rated interpersonal problems beyond self-reported interpersonal problems to predict marital quality within an expanded actor-partner interdependence model (APIM). METHOD: Within a community sample of heterosexual, married couples (N = 110), we used expanded APIMs, integrating both self-report and spouse-rating, to test the incremental validity of spouse-perceived interpersonal problems over self-perceived interpersonal problems on marital quality through a model comparison approach. We tested for possible gender differences in effects. RESULTS: Spouse perception, notably spouse-rated partner effects, appears to be the most frequent predictor of marital quality, and self-perception had less impact. CONCLUSION: Given the implications marital quality has on health and well-being, intervention efforts capitalizing on acceptance of spouses' perspectives are likely to lead to greater improvements in quality and overall health.

Assessing parental marital quality and divorce related to youth sexual experiences and adverse reproductive health outcomes among 50,000 Chinese college students.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate the associations between parental marital quality, divorce, and sexual and reproductive health outcomes among Chinese young people. METHODS: The study included 51,124 students from a large-scale cross-sectional study in China from 2019 to 2020. The exposures were parental marital quality and legal marital status reported by students. The dichotomous outcomes included sexual experiences, high-risk sexual behaviors, unintended health outcomes, and sexual abuse. Multivariate logistic regression models adjusting for socio-demographic factors were used to assess the relationship between parental marital quality, divorce, and sexual and reproductive health outcomes, stratified by sex. RESULTS: A total of 10.72% of the surveyed students' parents had divorced. Participants from divorced family rated perceived parental marital quality less than half of the ratings on a 10-point scale of those from intact family (3.22 vs. 7.44). Parental divorce was associated with a higher likelihood of sexual abuse, high-risk sexual behaviors, and unintended health outcomes. A higher perceived parental marital quality was associated with a lower probability of adverse sexual and reproductive health experiences and outcomes, such as forced penetrative vaginal or anal intercourse (male: OR: 0.73, 95% CI: 0.64-0.83; female: OR:0.71, 95% CI: 0.65-0.77), casual sexual intercourse (male: OR: 0.78, 95% CI: 0.73-0.83; female: OR: 0.77, 95% CI: 0.72-0.83), and sexually transmitted infections (male: OR: 0.79, 95% CI: 0.70-0.89; female: OR: 0.82, 95% CI: 0.73-0.91). CONCLUSIONS: Parental marital quality and status are associated with poorer sexual and reproductive health outcomes among young adults, suggesting that specific intervention programs should be implemented for children from unharmonious families or divorced families to prevent adverse sexual and reproductive health outcomes.

Marital relationships in China have undergone significant transformations with the rapid industrialization and modernization of the society. The prevalence of divorce in China and worldwide has shown an upward trend in recent years. Divorce and parental marital quality often affect youth health, but its association with youth sexual and reproductive health requires more discussion. This study aimed to investigate the associations between parental marital quality and parental divorce status (marriage or divorce) and a range of youth sexual and reproductive health indicators. Participants included 51,124 students from universities or vocational colleges across all 31 provinces in mainland China. A total of 10.72% of the surveyed students' parents had divorced. Participants from divorced family rated perceived parental marital quality less than half of the ratings on a 10-point scale of those from intact family (3.22 vs. 7.44). Divorce and lower parental marital quality were separately associated with a higher likelihood of experiencing sexual abuse, high-risk sexual behaviors, and unintended health outcomes among youth. These findings highlight the importance of implementing specific intervention programs to protect children from unharmonious families or divorced families.

Intimate Relationships and Coronary Heart Disease: Implications for Risk, Prevention, and Patient Management.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Research and clinical services addressing psychosocial aspects of coronary heart disease (CHD) typically emphasize individuals, focusing less on the context of intimate relationships such as marriage and similar partnerships. This review describes current evidence regarding the role of intimate relationships in the development, course, and management of CHD. RECENT FINDINGS: Having an intimate partner is associated with reduced risk of incident CHD and a better prognosis among patients, but strain (e.g., conflict) and disruption (i.e., separation, divorce) in these relationships are associated with increased risk and poor outcomes. These associations likely reflect mechanisms involving health behavior and the physiological effects of emotion and stress. Importantly, many other well-established psychosocial risk and protective factors (e.g., low SES, job stress, depression, and optimism) are strongly related to the quality of intimate relationships, and these associations likely contribute to the effects of those other psychosocial factors. For better or worse, intimate partners can also affect the outcome of efforts to alter health behaviors (physical activity, diet, smoking, and medication adherence) central in the prevention and management CHD. Intimate partners also influence-and are influenced by-stressful aspects of acute coronary crises and longer-term patient adjustment and management. Evidence on each of these roles of intimate relationships in CHD is considerable, but direct demonstrations of the value of couple assessments and interventions are limited, although preliminary research is promising. Research needed to close this gap must also address issues of diversity, disparities, and inequity that have strong parallels in CHD and intimate relationships.

Examining the linkages between marital quality and anxiety: A meta-analytic review.

This study examines the associations between marital quality and anxiety using meta-analytic techniques. A total of k = 151 effects published between the years 2000 and 2019 were analyzed. It was hypothesized that better overall marital quality would be associated with less anxiety. Results showed significant associations between marital quality and anxiety in such a way that higher overall marital quality was associated with lower anxiety. Post hoc analyses revealed that higher levels of positive marital behaviors (e.g., communication and intimacy) and fewer negative marital behaviors (e.g., criticism) were associated with lower anxiety. Additional results examined potential moderators of the association between marital quality and anxiety, including study design, direction of longitudinal associations (i.e., marital quality predicting anxiety or vice versa), gender, assessment of anxiety, and the use of control variables to account for comorbidities and demographic factors. Findings from this study provide a comprehensive review of the associations between marital quality and anxiety, which may be used to inform future research and treatment.

Self-reported effects of perceived social support on marital quality in balanced translocation patients and their spouses undergoing preimplantation genetic testing in China: actor-partner interdependence model.

This study aimed to analyse the relationship between perceived social support and marital quality in balanced translocation patients and their spouses undergoing a preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) treatment cycle in China. The authors assessed the actor and partner effects of perceived social support on marital quality in patient-spouse dyads using a dyadic analysis approach. In total, 59 couples were assessed using self-report questionnaires for marital quality and perceived social support. There were significant differences in marital quality between patients and their spouses (p=.0025) based on the APIM (actor-partner interdependence model) analyses. The perceived social support of both patients (p=.0076) and spouses (p<.001) had a significant effect on individual marital quality for actor effects. Partner effects showed that patients' perceived social support had a significant effect on spouses' marital quality (p=.0156) and the spouses' perceived social support had a significant effect on patients' marital quality (p=.0084). The findings indicate that the level of perceived social support affected both his/her own marital quality and that of his/her spouse.Impact StatementWhat is already known on this subject? Infertility and reproductive treatments affect both partners, that is, the couple as a unit and have a negative impact on an individual's marital satisfaction and social relationships.What do the results of this study add? There are significant differences in marital quality between balanced translocation patients and their spouses. Perceived social support significantly correlated with marital quality in both the actor and partner effects.What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? Health professionals should provide couple-based interventions involving both patients and spouses throughout the PGT treatment to improve perceived social support, thereby improving their marital quality.

Couples' self-control and marital conflict: Does similarity, complementarity, or totality matter more?

Research that approached self-control as a dyad-level predictor of relationship outcomes is hitherto scarce. To address this research gap, this study investigates three configurations of couples' level of self-control on marital conflict. We test three competing hypotheses suggested in the literature: similarity hypothesis, complementarity hypothesis, and totality hypothesis. The data used to test these hypotheses is a unique couple data (N = 1698 individuals from 894 married couples) of husbands and wives from a representative sample in Hong Kong. Two-level random-intercept models were employed. Based on our analysis with the difference-score method and response surface analysis, we find evidence to support the similarity hypothesis. The similarity of self-control between husband and wife is important in predicting marital conflict. In contrast, the total level of self-control is not predictive of marital conflict. This study highlights that marital conflict is strongly associated with the mismatch of self-control between partners.

Self-efficacy, psychological distress, and marital quality in young and middle-aged couples facing lymphoma: The mediating effect of dyadic coping.

OBJECTIVE: This study explored the mediating role of dyadic coping between self-efficacy, psychological distress and marital quality among young and middle-aged couples facing lymphoma. METHODS: A total of 243 couples in which the patients were lymphoma were recruited to complete Dyadic Coping Inventory, Locke-Wallace Marital Adjustment Scale for both. And Strategies Used by People to Promote Health, Fear of Progression Questionnaire-Short Form for patients; General Self-Efficacy Scale and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale for spouses. We used the statistical programs SPSS 20.0 and SPSS Amos 20.0 for data analysis. RESULTS: There were significant correlations between patient-spouse's dyadic coping and marriage quality scores. The patients' dyadic coping scores were significantly associated with their self-efficacy, fear of cancer recurrence scores, marriage quality, their spouse's self-efficacy, and marriage quality. The spouses' dyadic coping scores were significantly associated with their self-efficacy, anxiety, and marriage quality. The actor-partner interdependence mediation model analysis mediator effect of dyadic coping in the relationship between self-efficacy, psychological distress, and marriage quality had a good fit, with χ2 /df = 17.106, p = 0.194; root mean square error of approximation = 0.036; GFI = 0.992; CN = 243. CONCLUSIONS: For both patient and spouses, dyadic coping mediated impact of self-efficacy on marriage quality of themselves and their spouses, and individuals' dyadic coping mediated impact their psychological distress on marriage quality of themselves and spouses. The study highlighted the need for couple-based interventions and including strategies combined with individual and dyadic therapy for both partners.

What Factors Affect the Evolution of the Wife's Mental Health After the Husband's Retirement? Evidence From a Population-Based Nationwide Survey in Japan.

BACKGROUND: The "retired husband syndrome" refers to the negative impact of the husband's retirement on the wife's health. This study provided new insights by examining whether and to what extent the wife's social participation, interactions with her husband, and job status prior to her husband's retirement affected the evolution of her mental health after her husband's retirement. METHODS: We collected data from a 12-wave nationwide panel survey conducted from 2005 to 2016, starting with individuals aged 50-59 years. Focusing on 3,794 female respondents whose husbands retired during the survey period, we applied random-effects linear regression models to investigate the evolution of their mental health as measured by the Kessler 6 (K6) score (range, 0-24; Mean, 3.41; standard deviation, 4.11) during the 5 years after their husbands' retirement. RESULTS: On average, the wife's K6 score rose by 0.18 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.08-0.28), 0.18 (95% CI, 0.03-0.34), and 0.19 (95% CI, -0.02 to 0.43) in the first 3 years, respectively, after the husband's retirement, before declining toward the baseline level. However, the wife's active social participation, intense interactions with her husband, and absence of paid employment before her husband's retirement prevented her mental health from deteriorating. CONCLUSION: The results suggest the limited relevance of the "retired husband syndrome" among middle-aged Japanese couples. The effects of a husband's retirement on the wife's mental health depended heavily on her prior behavior.

Intraindividual reaction time variability as an index of attentional control acts as a moderator of the longitudinal relationships between marital quality and children's externalizing problems.

The current study investigated whether trial-to-trial intraindividual reaction time variability (IIRTV), which serves as an index of attentional control fluctuations, moderates the effect of marital quality at 7 years of age on the development of children's externalizing problems from 7 to 9 years of age (N = 197). At the first assessment (T1), a flanker task was administered to children for assessing their IIRTV. The Chinese version of a marital quality questionnaire (Evaluating and Nurturing Relationship Issues, Communication, and Happiness [ENRICH]) and the Chinese version of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) were completed by children's mothers to assess marital quality and children's externalizing problems. At the second and third assessments (T2 and T3), children's externalizing problems were reassessed by their mothers. Growth curve analyses showed that boys' externalizing problems were relatively high and significantly decreased over time, whereas girls' externalizing problems were relatively low and stable. Importantly, the results indicated that boys' IIRTV (but not girls' IIRTV) and parental marital quality interactively predict the concurrent and developmental trajectories of externalizing problems. Specifically, boys with greater IIRTV were found to exhibit a relatively persistent high level of externalizing problems in the context of poor parental marital quality, whereas boys with lower IIRTV were found to exhibit a relatively low level of externalizing problems over time regardless of their parental marital quality. The findings suggest that poorer attentional control indexed by greater IIRTV is a robust predictor of boys' externalizing problems and that better attentional control indexed by lower IIRTV may buffer the negative impact of adverse family environment on the development of boys' externalizing problems.