Dimensions and Correlates of Mothers' Divorce Experiences

Abstract

Twenty-five single divorced mothers who had been separated an average of about 6 years provided evaluations of: (a) the difficulty of various aspects of the divorce; (b) reasons for the divorce decision; (c) their estimation of their ex-spouses' reasons for the divorce decision; (d) individuals of support in the post-separation period; (e) problems experienced in the current post-separation period; (f) the degree and nature of contact with the ex-spouse; and (g) the degree and nature of environmental change occasioned by the divorce. These divorce experience dimensions were not highly intercorrelated and are described in detail. These divorce experience dimensions were also related to a variety of mother- and child-oriented factors. Mothers' positive divorce adjustment was related to nontraditional sex role attitudes, a marriage of short duration, few working hours, and the wife's initiating the divorce. Long-term prediction of divorce adjustment was made by clusters of personality traits assessed 2 years previously; these included Personal Competence, Self-concern, Extroversion/Sociability, and particularly Social Maturity. Mothers' post-separation stress, parental conflict in the post-separation period, and high degrees of environmental change occasioned by the divorce were related to children's social and psychological maladjustment.