The preliminary model tested in the first set of analyses advanced existing work on cognitive-contextual models by expanding interparental relationship assessment to include positive exchanges. Consistent with our hypotheses, couple positivity and conflict were related to adolescents’ perceptions of conflict and positivity in their parents’ relationship. In turn, adolescents who perceived more frequent parental conflict were more likely to perceive conflicts as threatening. Finally, adolescents who evaluated parental conflicts as threatening were more likely to report higher levels of internalizing problems 1 year later. These findings are consistent with prior work examining threat appraisals of interparental conflict and internalizing problems (e.g., Fosco & Grych, 2008; Fosco & Feinberg, in press; Grych et al., 2003)
