Associations Between Shared Musical Engagement and Parent–Child Relational Quality: The Mediating Roles of Interpersonal Coordination and Empathy

Parent–child musical engagement in childhood and adolescence was assessed as a predictor of relational quality in emerging adulthood. From a perspective grounded in the communicative dynamics of musical engagement, this effect was hypothesized to be mediated by perceptions of interpersonal coordination and empathy between parent and child. Support was found for such mediated effects, particularly with coordination as a mediator. Results persisted when controlling for other forms of positive parent–child activity, thus illustrating the specific relational power of musical engagement, and more generally the importance of attending to what parents and children are doing when they interact.