The relationship between cognitive defusion, marital satisfaction, and the parent-child relationship: an analysis through APIM and CFM

This study aims to explore the pathways and effects of cognitive defusion, marital satisfaction, and parent-child relationships within family dyads based on the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM) and the Common Fate Model (CFM). A questionnaire survey was administered to parents of high school students, resulting in the inclusion of valid data from 673 parent pairs (N = 1346; F: M_age = 45.89, SD = 3.35; M: M_age = 44.38, SD = 2.85) in the analysis. The APIM results revealed significant actor mediation effects. However, the partner mediation effects were partially significant. The CFM results indicated that family-level marital satisfaction significantly and fully mediated the relationship between parental cognitive defusion and the family-level parent-child relationship. Our study identified relationships between the core individual variable (cognitive defusion) in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), the marital subsystem (marital satisfaction), and the parent-child subsystem (parent-child relationship).This study not only deepens existing research on psychological flexibility and family relationships but also offers guidance for interventions aimed at improving parent-child relationships, marital relationships, and overall family harmony.