childrens emotional and physiological responses to interadult angry behavior the role of history of interparental hostility relations between history of marital discord and responses to interadult angry behavior were examined in preschoolers children watchedlistened to an angry interaction between two adults while their heart rate hr and skin conductance response scr and skin conductance level scl were monitored then they were interviewed about their emotional responses to the argument children were also videotaped during the session and their overt behavioral distress responses were coded in comparison to children from lowconflict homes children from highconflict homes a exhibited more overt behavioral distress in response to the argument and b perceived the angry interaction as less negative in affect childrens hr reactivity to the angry interaction was influenced by both marital conflict and the gender of the subject in comparison to girls from lowconflict homes those from highconflict homes exhibited more hr reactivity to the argument for boys physical violence in the home was negatively associated with hr reactivity