Turning points and commitment in post‐divorce relationships

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to illuminate the post‐divorce experience through identifying turning points, reported commitment level, and patterns characteristic of post‐divorce relationships. Eleven turning points were identified and mean change in commitment level was assessed via the Retrospective Interview Technique (RIT), which requires participants to plot their relational stories on a graph. Upon visual examination, five patterns of post‐divorce relationships emerged from a holistic assessment and categorization of all RIT graphs. Implications for the application of turning points to the study of post‐divorce relationships are discussed, and research directions identified.