Abstract

The literature has shown that the marital conflict has a negative impact on child adjustment (internalizing and externalizing behaviors). It was also well established that the children's appraisal of threat and self blame (Cognitive-Contextual Framework) and their emotional reactivity (Emotional Security Hypothesis) mediate the relationship between marital conflict and child adjustment. The present study aims to explore whether and how the different children's Internal Working Models (IWM) of attachment moderate these associations. 169 schoolaged children (87 secure, 48 anxious-ambivalent and 34 avoidant) and their parents participated to the study. A set of measures (RCTS, CPIC, SIS, CBCL, SAT) were administered to children and their parents. The results show the different effect played by marital conflict on perceptions, emotional reactions and internalizing and externalizing behaviors by considering the IWM secure, anxious-ambivalent and avoidant. Clinical implications and interventions are discussed.