2024/09/09 by Rianne van Dijk, Stefanos Mastrotheodoros, Inge E. van der Valk +3
Psychology · Social Sciences · #Attachment and Relationship Dynamics #Family Dynamics and Relationships #Intergenerational Family Dynamics and Caregiving
paper · pdf · doi:10.1007/s10964-024-02064-w
openalex publication_date 2024/09/09 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31
Abstract Boundary diffusion is a particular risk after divorce and has been associated with adolescents’ adjustment problems. Yet, its potential impact on parent-adolescent relationship quality is less straightforward, as previous findings support both an alienation and conflict perspective . Therefore these associations (daily and half-yearly) were examined in recently divorced families, addressing both within-dyad changes and between-dyad differences. Data were collected among a sample of N = 133 (pre)adolescents ( M age = 11.76; 51.5% boys) from 76 divorced families, using a measurement burst design: Every six months, 14 consecutive days of daily diaries were collected, for 5 waves. Between dyads, adolescents who experienced more boundary diffusion than others, also reported more conflict with both their parents. Within dyads, when adolescents experienced more boundary diffusion than usual by one of their parents (actor), warmth decreased and conflict increased between this parent and the adolescent, that same and the following day. Adolescents also engaged in more conflict with the other parent that day. These findings mostly supported the conflict perspective: Post-divorce boundary diffusion appears to be a general risk factor for parent-adolescent conflict with both parents, and from day-to-day boundary diffusion was linked to a deteriorated parent-adolescent relationship quality, especially with the parent that triangulated or parentified them. There were no significant long-term associations, nor did any moderator (age, gender, living arrangement) explain heterogeneity in effects.