Coparenting in the context of family relations

Context and relevance. Parenting and marital relations in modern psychology are considered as close, mutually influencing relationships. Coparenting is a new phenomenon to Russian psychology, which is defined as the relationship of partners to each other in their role as parents, implying joint responsibility for the upbringing of a child. Objective. To analyze the concept and structure of the phenomenon of «coparenting» and its connection with marital and parent-child relations. Results. Coparenting can be divided into supporting or undermining behavior of parents towards each other. M.E. Feinberg developed a 4-component model of coparenting by combining data from different concepts. It includes: 1) agreement/disagreement in parenting; 2) division of labor; 3) co-parent support/disruption; 4) co-management of family dynamics. Analysis of contemporary research on coparenting shows that in the sphere of marital relations, coparenting is related to the quality of marriage and marital satisfaction, as well as to the level of parental involvement in child-rearing. Coparenting and marital relations influence the development of parent-child relations. Disagreements between parents, competitive behavior, low level of support, irritation and stress in the process of parenting and marital conflicts negatively affect the quality of communication between parents and children. Conclusions. Coparenting can be an intermediate variable between the quality of the partnership and the parents' behavior towards the child but it is not determined solely by them. Coparenting is still an understudied phenomenon in family psychology, and further research is required into the factors and conditions of its formation and development.

1. Altenburger, L.E., Schoppe-Sullivan, S.J., Kamp Dush, C.M. (2018). Associations between maternal gatekeeping and fathers’ parenting quality. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 27(8), 2678—2689. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-018-1107-3
2. Antawati, D.I., Hendriani, W., Nurdibyanandaru, D. (2020). Determinant of coparenting behavior in intact family: A literature review. Journal of Educational Health and Community Psychology, 9(3), 362—386. https://doi.org/10.12928/jehcp.v9i3.17015
3. Brody, G.H., Flor, D.L., Neubau, E. (1998). Coparenting processes and child competence among rural African-American families. In: M. Lewis, C. Feiring (Eds.), Families, risk, and competence (pp. 227—243). Mahwan: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
4. Campbell, C.G. (2023). Two decades of coparenting research: A scoping review. Marriage & Family Review, 59(6), 379—411. https://doi.org/10.1080/01494929.2022.2152520
5. Christopher, C., Umemura, T., Mann, T., Jacobvitz, D. Hazen, N. (2015). Marital quality over the transition to parenthood as a predictor of coparenting. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 24, 3636—3651. https://doi.org/5.10.1007/s10826-0172-0
6. d’Orsi, D., Veríssimo, M., Diniz, E. (2023). Father involvement and maternal stress: The mediating role of coparenting. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(8), Article 5457. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20085457
7. Ece, C., Gurmen, M.S., Acar, I.H., Buyukcan-Tetik A. (2024). Examining the dyadic association between marital satisfaction and coparenting of parents with young children. Current Psychology, 43(2), 1473—1482. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-04363-0
8. Egeren, L.A.V., Hawkins, D.P. (2004). Coming to terms with coparenting: Implications of definition and measurement. Journal of Adult Development, 11(3), 165—178. https://doi.org/10.1023/b:jade.0000035625.746
9. Erel, O., Burman, B. (1995). Interrelatedness of marital relations and parent-child relations: A meta-analytic review. Psychological Bulletin, 118(1), 108—132. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.118.1.108
10. Feinberg, M.E. (2003). The internal structure and ecological context of coparenting: A framework for research and intervention. Parenting, science and practice, 3(2), 95—131. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327922par0302_17
11. Feinberg, M.E., Brown, L.D., Kan, M.L. (2012). A multi-domain self-report measure of coparenting. Parenting, science and practice, 12(1), 1—21. https://doi.org/10.1080/15295192.2012.638870
12. Han, G., Alfredsson, E., Cox, L., Psouni, E. (2023). Variation in coparenting quality in relation to child age: Links to coparents' relationship satisfaction and education. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 64(5), 632—643. https://doi.org/10.3390/children10121884
13. Kopystynska, O., Barnett, M.A., Curran, M.A. (2020). Constructive and destructive interparental conflict, parenting, and coparenting alliance. Journal of Family Psychology, 34(4), 414—424. https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0000606
14. Kuo, P.X., Xu, W., Yang, Z. (2024). Dyadic associations between marital satisfaction and coparenting quality: Gender differences and the moderating role of caregiving identity. Frontiers in Sociology, 9, Article 1422404. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsoc.2024.1422404
15. Le, Y., O'Reilly Treter, M., Roddy, M.K., Doss, B.D. (2021). Coparenting and parenting outcomes of online relationship interventions for low-income couples. Journal of Family Psychology, 35(7), 1033—1039. https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0000850
16. Lindroos, E., Räikkönen, E., Malinen, K., Rönkä, A.K. (2023). Prenatal version of the coparenting relationship scale among finnish couples expecting their firstborn. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 32(10), 2944—2960. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-023-02659-0
17. Liu, S., Zhang, D., Wang, X., Ying, J., Wu, X. (2023). A network approach to understanding parenting: Linking coparenting, parenting styles, and parental involvement in rearing adolescents in different age groups. Developmental Psychology, 59(4), 786—800. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0001470
18. Margolin, G., Gordis, E.B., John, R.S. (2001). Coparenting: A link between marital conflict and parenting in two-parent families. Journal of Family Psychology, 15(1), 3—21. https://doi.org/10.1037/0893-3200.15.1.3
19. Masui, Y., Yamazaki, A. (2024). Prenatal coparenting and attachment style in Japanese pregnant women: A cross-sectional survey. Plos one, 19(8), Article e0309212. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0309212
20. May, C., Atherton, C., Colyvas, K., Mancini, V., Campbell, L.E. (2023). Development of a Brief Coparenting Measure: The Coparenting Competence Scale. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(13), Article 6322. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20136322
21. McHale, J.P., Irace, K., Cowan, P., Cowan, C.P., Odgaard, E. (2024). A method and approach for evaluating coparenting events during couples group interventions. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, Article 1463773. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1463773
22. Mollà Cusí, L., Günther-Bel, C., Vilaregut Puigdesens, A., Meritxell Campreciós, O., Josep Lluís, M.C. (2020). Instruments for the assessment of coparenting: A systematic review. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 29, 2487—2506. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-020-01769-3
23. Mollà Cusí, L., Vilaregut Puigdesens, A., Callea, A., Roca, M., Pretel-Luque, T., Matalí Costa, J.L. (2024). Questionnaire for the assessment of coparenting (CECOP): Development and validation. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 33(10), 3177—3190. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-024-02886-z
24. Pedro, M.F., Ribeiro, T., Shelton, K.H. (2012). Marital satisfaction and partners' parenting practices: The mediating role of coparenting behavior. Journal of Family Psychology, 26(4), 509—522. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0029121
25. Pérez, C.F., Leon, M.J., Philipp, D. (2024). Development of coparenting during the transition to parenthood: Integrating parents’ representations with observed interactions. Infant Mental Health Journal, 45(5), 483—496. https://doi.org/10.1002/imhj.22133
26. Ranta, M., Paloniemi, S., Böök, M.L., Ronkä, A. (2025). Learning and developmental pathways in early coparenting among finnish first-time parental couples'. Journal of Adult Development, 32, 348—364. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10804-024-09505-7
27. Riina, E.M., McHale, S.M. (2015). African American couples' coparenting satisfaction and marital characteristics in the first two decades of marriage. Journal of Family Issues, 36(7), 902—923. https://doi.org/10.1177/0192513X13495855
28. Ronaghan, D., Gaulke, T., Theule, J. (2024). The association between marital satisfaction and coparenting quality: A meta-analysis. Journal of Family Psychology, 38(2), 236—245. https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0001149
29. Schoppe-Sullivan, S.J., Mangelsdorf, S.C. (2012). Parent characteristics and early coparenting behavior at the transition to parenthood. Social Development, 22(2), 363—383. https://doi.org/10.1111/sode.12014
30. Seijo, D., Fariña, F., Fernández, M.P., Arce, R. (2024). Adaptation of the coparenting relationship scale questionnaire to Spanish parents with offspring. Children, 11(5), Article 535. https://doi.org/10.3390/children11050535
31. Sezer, Ş.N., Acar, I.H. (2024). The roles of mother-perceived coparenting and child routines on children’s social—emotional competence during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 33(8), 2471—2485. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-024-02870-7
32. Teubert, D., Pinquart, M. (2010). The association between coparenting and child adjustment: A meta-analysis. Parenting: Science and practice, 10(4), 286—307. https://doi.org/10.1080/15295192.2010.49
33. Tissot, H., Van Heel, M., Feinberg, M.E., Gedaly, L.R., Barham, E.J., Calders, F., Camisasca, E., de Carvalho, T.R., Çetin, M., Dennis, C.-L., Favez, N., Figueiredo, B., Galdiolo, S., Khawaja, M., Lamela, D., Latham, R.M., Luo, N., Mosmann, C., Nakamura, Y., ... Xu, W. (2024). Measurement invariance of the Coparenting Relationship Scale (CRS) across 10 countries. Journal of Family Psychology, 38(5), 697—706. https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0001228
34. Więsyk, S., Wojtasiński, M., Tużnik, P., Lachowska, B., Feinberg, M.E., Favez, N. (2024). Polish adaptation of the coparenting relationship scale: A self-report measure used to assess subjective quality of the relationship between parents. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 41(6), 436—448. https://doi.org/10.1027/1015-5759/a000825
35. Wu, D., Jiang, Y., Zheng, L., Ren, W., Lin, X. (2024). The power of routines: Impact of parent-grandparent coparenting relationship quality on post-lockdown child adjustment over the COVID-19 pandemic in China. Children and Youth Services Review, 164, Article 107869. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2024.107869
36. Zhu, T., Pruett, M.K., Alschech, J. (2023). Coparenting in english-speaking and chinese families: A cross-cultural comparison using the survey tool CoPAFS. Children, 10(12), Article 1884. https://doi.org/10.3390/children10121884