Using 115 couples from recently formed stepfather families, we tested the hypothesis that identity salience would moderate effects of threatening or enhancing family interaction on psychological distress in the marital and parenting domains. Data were obtained from structured interaction tasks at two separate center visits: a couple and a family assessment. Measures included observed negative and positive behaviors directed from one spouse toward another and behaviors directed from a child to mother or stepfather. Psychological and marital distress was the dependent latent variable. Five of 8 hypothesized moderation effects were supported. For example, negative engagement from a mother to a high spousal-salient stepfather predicted higher levels of stepfather distress. For both spouses, negative interactions were moderated in the couple interaction tasks and positive interactions were moderated in the family tasks. Contrary to expectations, parental salience did not moderate children’s behavior toward parents. Within couple distress was explained by predictors in the couple interaction tasks but not the family tasks. Finally, stepfather stress showed spillover effects predicting mother distress but not vice versa.