determining these roles. The lack of research examining couples' relational processes as

new parents perhaps is one reason why interventions created to alleviate some of the

challenges associated with the transition to parenthood have been largely unsuccessful in

altering roles and behaviors. Rather than changing couples' division of labor (one goal of

these programs), the interventions resulted in little to no change in the division of labor

but increased men and women's satisfaction with an inequitable distribution of

responsibilities (e.g., Cowan & Cowan, 2000; Hawkins, Roberts, Christiansen, &

Marshall, 1994). A study of a recently developed intervention evidenced positive

outcomes for the couple's relationship, but did not include a measure of fathers'

involvement in child care, despite the authors' stated goal of increasing participation

among fathers (Shapiro & Gottman, 2005); it is therefore unknown whether the

intervention produced changes in parents' role behaviors.

 New parents' marital negotiations and conflict behaviors comprised the core of the

present investigation. The purpose of the study was to examine how couples' typical

patterns of conflict resolution relate to their division of household labor and child care, as

well as to their individual and relational well-being or strain. It was expected that quite

different approaches to conflict could be equally effective, and that learning more about

conflict behaviors promoting individual and marital well-being along with an equitable

division of labor would be helpful for a variety of professionals who work with new

parents. Much of the research on the transition to parenthood has painted a discouraging

picture of its challenges for new parents and the therapists, counselors, and family life

educators seeking to ease this transition; the present study aims to illuminate relational