Parental Divorce and Premarital Couples: Commitment and Other Relationship Characteristics

Parental divorce is thought to affect the romantic relationships of young adults, especially with respect to their certainty about the relationship and perceptions of problems in it. We examined these connections with a random sample of 464 coupled partners. Compared with women from intact families, women from divorced families reported less trust and satisfaction, but more ambivalence and conflict. For men, perceptions of relationships were contingent on the marital status of their partners' parents, although men from intact and divorced families did differ on structural constraints that affect commitment. Young adults who were casually dating showed the strongest effects of parental divorce, suggesting that the repercussions of parental divorce may be in place before the young adults form their own romantic relationships.     

Effects of Divorce on Children's Perceptions of Parent Behavior and Locus of Control

This study examined the effects of divorce on later latency children from a nonclinical population. Perceptions of parent behavior and locus of control were assessed for 68 middle class children aged 9 to 12 years. Results showed a general absence of differences between children from divorced and intact families in their perceptions of parent behavior and locus of control. There were no significant differences between children from divorced and intact families on the three factors of the Children's Reports of Parent Behavior Inventory (CRPBI) (Acceptance-Rejection, Psychological Control-Psychological Autonomy, and Firm Control-Lax Control), 17 of 18 scales of the CRPBI, and the Nowicki-Strickland Locus of Control scale. However, the Possessiveness scale of the CRPBI indicated that children of divorce perceived both their mothers and fathers as significantly more possessive than did children from intact families. The results showed that parental divorce did not impact strongly on children's perceptions of parents and locus of control and suggest minimal adverse effects of divorce, at least for children from the volunteer nonclinical population studied.     

The Effect of Parental Divorce on Discomfort and Cardiac Activity in Response to Public Displays of Affection in College Females

Two studies examined the effect of parental divorce on feelings of discomfort and cardiac activity in response to public displays of affection (PDAs). In the first study, females from divorced homes reported marginally significant higher discomfort in response to PDAs than females from intact homes. In the second study, 32 female participants (16 from divorced homes and 16 from intact homes) viewed a PDA video and a control video and subsequently were asked to complete the same measure of discomfort as in Study 1. Interbeat intervals (IBIs) were recorded, and mean IBI and respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) were derived. IBI and RSA increased in both groups in response to the videos over baseline. No differences were found between the divorce and intact groups for responses to the PDA video. However, the divorce group had higher heart rates and lower RSA overall, which suggests a potential mechanism for the association between divorce and negative physical health outcomes in women. Future studies should examine mediators of the relationship between divorce and reactions to PDA, such as marital conflict and parenting quality.     

Parental Conflict During Divorce as an Indicator of Adjustment and Future Relationships: A Retrospective Sibling Study

We assessed parental conflict during divorce and divorce stories, quality of relationship among siblings during divorce, and attitudes about romantic relationships later in life. Thirty-two undergraduate female participants (18–23 years old) whose parents divorced during the 7 to 13 year old age range completed the Sibling Relationship Questionnaire and an adapted version of the Adult Divorce and Sibling Relationship Interview. Older sibling participants endorsed higher levels of dominance toward younger siblings, more caretaking behavior, and higher levels of parental conflict than younger siblings. Analyses revealed overt conflict exposure related to less confidence in relationship sustainability as young adults. Content analysis demonstrated relationship formation problems and trust in partners.     

Gender Differences in College Students' Attitudes Towards Divorce and Their Willingness to Marry

This study compared the attitudes about divorce between young adults (college students) who had experienced parental divorce in their chilhood and those from intact homes. While there were no overall group differences, a significant two-way interaction was found for parents' marital status and sex of their respondent. In the intact group, females had a slightly more positive attitude, but in the divorced group, males were considerably more positive in their attitudes towards divorce. The only relationship between the two groups that was near significance in terms of their readiness to marry was the divorced group's more favorable attitude towards pre-marital cohabitation. These young adults were also significantly more actively dating than the intact group. Intergenerational marital instability was also greater for college students who experienced parental divorce.     

Relationship-Specific Cognitions and Family-of-Origin Divorce and Abuse

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between relationship-specific cognitions and family-of-origin divorce, psychological abuse, and physical aggression. College students from divorced (N=46) and intact (N= 66) families completed questionnaires regarding their family-of-origin victimization, witnessing, and perpetration experiences as well as their relationship cognitions. A series of 2 (divorce vs. intact) by 3 severity level (none, psychological, physical) MANOVAS were conducted to assess the relationships among divorce, witnessing, perpetration, and victimization experiences with mother and father, and current relationship cognitions (assumptions, standards, and expectancies). Subjects from divorced homes reported significantly lower marriage-efficacy than subjects from intact homes. Subjects who reported physical victimization from fathers had significantly lower marriage-efficacy and lower self-efficacy than non-physically-victimized subjects. A trend was found whereby subjects who psychologically perpetrated against their mothers endorsed more dysfunctional relationship assumptions and standards and lower efficacy expectancies of partners than did those who reported no psychological or physical perpetratation against their mothers. Experiences of witnessing parental psychological and physical abuse were not related to dysfunctional relationship cognitions. These findings are discussed within an intergenerational transmission of divorce and violence framework.     

Adult Sibling Relationships in the Context of a Mid- to Late-Life Parental Divorce

There has been much research on the influence of parental divorce on children, but less is known about whether and how a later-life parental divorce influences the lives of adult children. Through qualitative interviews with 40 adult children of divorce—those whose parents divorced after they were 18 years of age—adult sibling relationships were explored to determine if a mid- to late-life parental divorce affects the adult sibling relationship. The majority of participants reported that their sibling relationships were not negatively affected by the parental divorce; however, a minority of participants noted that their adult sibling relationships were negatively affected, especially if they “took sides” during the parental divorce.     

Perceptions of Divorce,Closeness, Marital Attitudes,Romantic Beliefs,and Religiosity Among Emergent Adults From Divorced and Nondivorced Families

This article analyzes 401 college students’ perceptions of love, romance, parent–child closeness, and religiosity. Results revealed that college students from divorced homes were not as close with their parents and reported decreased religiosity compared to participants from nondivorced homes, and that these factors are associated with young adults’ views and expectations on romantic relationships. The work presented here provides implications for future studies in understanding the beliefs about and effects of divorce for adult children. Further, results from this study suggest that college students have different expectations regarding love, romance, and marriage based on a number of family relation factors. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.     

The Effects of Parental Divorce on the Moral Judgment Development of Freshman and Sophomore College Students

This research investigated the effects of parental divorce on the moral judgment development of freshman and sophomore college students (N?=?377). Freshmen with divorced parents had lower scores of moral judgment development than freshmen with married parents, whereas sophomores with divorced parents had higher moral judgment development scores than sophomores with married parents. It was also found that an experience changing homes in childhood or adolescence was negatively associated with moral judgment development for freshmen but positively associated with moral judgment development for sophomores. It was concluded that the change of environment associated with a parental divorce could enhance moral judgment development growth in the early years of college.     

The Effects of Parental Divorce: A Culture-Specific Challenge for Young Adults in South Korea

Extensive research into the offspring of divorced parents has indicated associations between parental divorce and developmental outcomes for young adults. Nevertheless the impact of cultural variation on the lives of young people with divorced parents has been neglected. Qualitative research using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was used to examine the experiences of six Korean adults of divorced parents, who detailed the impact of parental divorce on their lives and told us how their feelings toward their parents and their own ideas about family formation had been reevaluated. Overall, participants expressed concerns in common with other children of divorce and concerns specific to their Confucian cultural context, namely ambivalent feelings toward their parents' divorce, confusion about traditional filial piety, and a view of the self as damaged and needing reinvestment.     

The Impact of Parental Divorce on College Adjustment

The prevalence of families experiencing divorce has lead to an increase in studies examining the consequences of divorce for children. Few studies have focused, however, on the possible consequences for the late adolescent/early adulthood group, and the literature concerning the impact of parental divorce on collcge ad- justment is even more sparse. The purpose of this study was to examine: (1) the impact of natural parent marital status on college adjustment; (2) the impact of Ule marital status of the custodial parent on college adjustment; and (3) the impact of age al parenlal divorce on college adjustment. The sample consisted of 341 respon- dents, 65 of whom were from divorced homes. The resulls indicated Ulat no statistically significant differences existed among student's college adjustment scores due lo the natural parent's marital slatus or the marital slatus of the custodial parent for students whose natural parenls were divorced. Age of the studenl at the time of Ihe parcnt's divorce was found to be a variable effecting college adjusunenl. Student's who were preschoolers at the time of thcir parent's divorce had signilicantly higher college adjustment scores than students who were school-age at the time of their parent's divorce.     

A Prospective Study of Behavioural Disturbance in Children Who Subsequently Experience Parental Divorce

This study examines changes in children's behaviour as a function of parental divorce. As part of a large scale general population study on the effects of marital disharmony on children, 139 children from the general population were followed up from a previous study. These children and their mothers were interviewed first between 1979 and 1982 (time 1) and then followed up between 1984 and 1986 (time 2). Between the time 1 interview and the time 2 interview, 16 children's parents had separated or divorced. This paper deals with the mothers' report of changes in the behaviour of these children between time 1 and time 2 as a function of their parents' divorce, and compares this with changes in children's behaviour whose parents live in disharmonious (N = 40) or harmonious homes (N = 50). Children's reports of their own behaviour at time 2 are also presented. The data show that children in disharmonious homes and children whose parents subsequently divorce show higher levels of disturbance than children in harmonious homes. Children whose parents subsequently divorce show their disturbance prior to the divorce. Children's coping strategies in response to divorce were also investigated and and an association was found between children's behavioural problems and (a) self-blame and (b) not having friends whose parents had divorced.     

Children's Perceptions of Their Parents' Divorce

The purpose of this study was to explore children's perceptions of their parents' divorce. One hundred and thirty two children, ranging in age from 5 to 19 years, responded to 13 questions of an open-ended interview; 92 of these children, ranging in age from 10 to 19 years, also responded to a 69-item structured questionnaire. For both measures, interest was directed on the extent to which age; sex; level of lacus of control, interpersonal knowledge, and intelligence; and length of parental separation were related to children's responses. The general tone of children's responses to both measures was positive yet realistic; children did not, in short, view their parent's divorce as an overly distressing experience. This finding supports the validity of the two measures. Moreover, the nature of children's responses was rather consistently related to age and level of both locus of control and interpersonal knowledge in the openended interview, and to age and level of locus of control in the more structured questionnaire. The extent to which children both perceive themselves as having a major cause in their life experiences and understand the dynamics of interpersonal relations, then, significantly influences their perceptions of their parents' divorce.     

Relation Between Parental Divorce and Adjustment in College Students

The role of parental divorce on the adjustment of emerging adults has been understudied and mostly limited to first-year college students. This study sought to examine the relation between parental divorce and adjustment in college students to identify differences in students from intact and divorced families while also examining gender and age differences. Results indicated no adjustment differences as a whole or by gender for intact and divorced families. However, students who were older when their parents divorced had higher levels of self-esteem than those whose parents divorced when they were younger. Implications of the study are discussed.     

Parental Divorce and Interpersonal Trust in Adult Offspring

It has been proposed that recent increases in parental divorce have inhibited the development of trust among offspring. This proposition is tested by examining whether parental divorce is associated with offspring trust in parents, intimate partners, and others. Data come from the Marital Instability Over the Life Course Study. Results reveal that although parental divorce is negatively associated with trust, these effects largely disappear once the quality of the past parent‐teen relationship is taken into account. The one exception is trust in fathers where children of divorce remain at higher risk of mistrust. Trust in parents, intimates, and others is strongly linked to positive parent‐teen relationships regardless of parental divorce. Contemporary relationship experiences also influence trusting intimates and others.     

Family Stress and Organization Following Parental Divorce or Death

This study examines whether children of separation/divorce experience more associated family disorganization and stress than those from homes broken by parental death or from intact families. Ratings of childrens' levels and types of parental attention, family problems, and economic hardship were obtained on three independent samples. The findings indicate that divorce per se, and not the more general case of family dissolution, is significantly related to increased levels of family stressors for the child. Children with histories of parental separation/divorce were seen to be experiencing significantly lower levels of educational stimulation from parents, as well as greater parental rejection, economic stress, and general family problems than those from homes broken by parental death or from intact families. This relationship was consistent across independent year samples, referred and normal populations, and urban/suburban and rural samples. The implications of these findings for previously demonstrated differences in the school adjustment patterns of children with parental separation/divorce or death histories are elaborated, and the importance of considering stressors for the child which are associated with divorce in the planning of preventive interventions is discussed.     

Parental Divorce,Residence Arrangements,and Contact Between Grandchildren and Grandparents

When parents divorce, grandparents can play a supportive role in the lives of their grandchildren, but a parental divorce may also put grandchild–grandparent ties under pressure. In this study the authors investigated how grandchildren of married and divorced parents differ in the frequency of face‐to‐face contacts with grandparents and how this is mediated by postdivorce residence arrangements. Based on the multi‐actor survey “Divorce in Flanders,” they used reports of contact provided by more than 1,000 grandchildren and compared them with more than 1,100 grandparent reports for validation. The results showed that grandchildren from divorced parents have fewer contacts with their grandparents than grandchildren whose parents are married but that it is the postdivorce residence arrangement of grandchildren that produces this result. When grandchildren live with their divorced father or in a shared residence arrangement, they even see paternal grandparents more often than grandchildren with married parents.     

Distress in Emerging Adults: Further Evaluation of the Painful Feelings About Divorce Scale

Young adults from divorced families experience clear emotional distress despite most not meeting diagnostic criteria for emotional disorders. Laumann-Billings and Emery (2000) developed the Painful Feelings About Divorce (PFAD) scale to assess the emotional distress emerging adults feel regarding childhood parental divorce. The study sample is undergraduates predominately between the ages of 18 and 22. This study adds to the literature by (a) further demonstrating the PFAD scale reliability and validity, (b) including participants with both divorced and separated but never married parents, and (c) assessing generalizability of the PFAD with a more diverse socioeconomic sample.     

Positive Consequences of Parental Divorce Among Israeli Young Adults

Abstract

Within the framework of cognitive theories that define crisis as a challenge to self-development, this study explored the positive long-term outcomes of coping with parental divorce in young adults. Data were collected from self-reports of 158 Israeli young adults whose parents divorced when they were adolescents. Together with painful feelings, almost half the participants reported “more positive than negative outcomes” and less than a quarter thought that the divorce had “more negative than positive outcomes.” The various positive outcomes were found to form three constructs reflecting maturity and growth: empowerment, empathy, and relationship-savvy. Coping styles used by the participants proved strongly connected to long-term outcomes. Reciprocal support was the main coping style used by the young adults and their significant others, and was connected to positive long-term outcomes. Based on multiple regression analyses, the study proposes a sequential model that charts a developmental sequence that enhances long-term positive outcomes. These and other results are discussed within the framework of posttraumatic growth perspective.     

Negative family-of-origin experiences: are they associated with perpetrating unwanted pursuit behaviors?

Parental divorce, history of parental relationship separation, perceptions of interparental conflict, and witnessing parental violence were retrospectively assessed in a sample of 213 college students from several regions in the United States, all of whom had suffered an unwanted break-up of an important romantic relationship. This study investigated whether these family-of-origin experiences were associated with perpetrating unwanted pursuit behaviors after the relationship break-up. Results indicated that male participants who had experienced either parental divorce or separation perpetrated more severe unwanted pursuit behavior than males who had not experienced parental divorce or separation or females from either divorced, separated, or intact families. For females, severe unwanted pursuit behavior perpetration was correlated with threatening and intense parental arguments. These findings suggest that a variety of types of negative parental relationship behavior may be risk factors for perpetrating severe unwanted pursuit behaviors. The gender-specificity and implications of these findings are discussed.