Divorce Stress and Adjustment Model

One hundred and seven recently divorced men and . women completed a mailed questionnaire eliciting locus of control, difficulties, decision time, and divorce stress and adjustment. Public records were used to obtain demographic data. The path analysis derived final model suggests: (I) Locus of control is related to pre- decision stress, peak stress point, stress intensity, stress duration, and postdivorce stress and adjustment, but unrelated to decision time. (2) The relationship between locus of control and heavy stress chan es over time from an inverse to a direct relationship. (3) Com- pare f to women, men report less predecision stress, shorter predeci- sion periods, lower postdivorce adjustment, and more external Rot- ter Locus of Control scores. (4) Marriage length is directly related to decision time and stress duration, but inversely related to predeci- sion stress, point of peak stress, and postdivorce stress. (5) Childless couples report fewer difficulties, less postdecision stress, and shorter predecision intervals.