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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Age At First Marriage And Marital Success In The Context Of Stress Theory: An Updated Investigation With A Longitudinal, Nationally Representative Sample, Anne Marie Wright Jones
Age At First Marriage And Marital Success In The Context Of Stress Theory: An Updated Investigation With A Longitudinal, Nationally Representative Sample, Anne Marie Wright Jones
Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of this study is to use family stress theory to examine the relationship between age at first marriage and marital quality and divorce. Age at marriage continues to increase and the demographics keep changing. Past research suggests that early age at marriage has been a contributing factor to divorce risk. Marital quality outcomes can also give us an idea of how well couples are faring in their marriages. This study employs a sample from a longitudinal, nationally representative investigation (CREATE), which has followed newlywed couples since 2016. The sub-sample for this study comes from wave one and includes …
Child Abuse Allegations In High Conflict Divorce, Clara Ko
Child Abuse Allegations In High Conflict Divorce, Clara Ko
Theses and Dissertations
While child abuse within the context of marital or parental dissolution has received some attention, there is an enduring perspective that child abuse within this context rarely occurs, and that most child abuse allegations are fabricated. Not only is there a dearth of existing literature on how often false child abuse allegations occur and the driving variables behind these allegations, little is known about the psychological effects of unfounded child abuse allegations on families. Furthermore, most of the existing literature on this topic was conducted over 30 years ago. Much has changed in recent years with respect to mental health …
The Effects Of Premarital Education Promotion Policies On U.S. Divorce Rates, Tiffany Lura Clyde
The Effects Of Premarital Education Promotion Policies On U.S. Divorce Rates, Tiffany Lura Clyde
Theses and Dissertations
Previous research has documented the effects of divorce on children, families, communities, taxpayers, and society. Accordingly, local, state, and national governments have enacted policies aimed at strengthening marriages and reducing divorce. Currently, ten states have enacted some form of premarital education promotion policy. However, no research has documented whether the implementation of premarital education promotion policies has actually decreased the divorce rate in implementing states. Accordingly, the purpose of this study was to investigate empirically the effectiveness of premarital education policy implementation on reducing early divorce rates. Prior to running any empirical analyses, an implementation study was conducted to understand …
School Psychologists’ Perceptions Of Selecting Divorce-Themed Books For Elementary-Aged Children Experiencing Parental Divorce, Tarryn Elizabeth Roberts
School Psychologists’ Perceptions Of Selecting Divorce-Themed Books For Elementary-Aged Children Experiencing Parental Divorce, Tarryn Elizabeth Roberts
Theses and Dissertations
Divorce is a common event in the United States; an estimated 50% of marriages end in divorce. With so many divorces each year, a substantial number of children are impacted. Divorce can have negative effects socially, behaviorally, emotionally, and academically, in both the short term and the long term. Bibliotherapy is a therapeutic tool centered on the use of books and stories to assist in the understanding and expression of an event. Bibliotherapy has been shown to be effective for children who have experienced similar traumatic events such as loss. Research suggests that bibliotherapy could be a flexible, cost efficient, …
How Having A Child With Special Needs Affects Family Functioning In Families Of Different Types, Victoria Nascati
How Having A Child With Special Needs Affects Family Functioning In Families Of Different Types, Victoria Nascati
Theses and Dissertations
A number of children in the United States are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder each year. In the past several years, there has been an increase in this diagnosis. Along with this increase, there has been an increase in the variety of therapies, resources, and services available to children diagnosed with ASD. However, previous research has shown that there is a lack of resources for the parents and families of those children. The purpose of the current study is to gain insight into the daily lives of a family who has a child with Autism in order to assess the …
Impact Of Parental Interference On Children In High Conflict Divorce, Kelly D. Painter
Impact Of Parental Interference On Children In High Conflict Divorce, Kelly D. Painter
Theses and Dissertations
Parental interference in high conflict divorce cases continues to evoke much debate among mental health professionals in the forensic psychology field. Although over the past thirty years, some empirical studies have been conducted regarding the long-term psychological impact of adults that experienced parental interference as children, few studies have examined the impact that this phenomenon has on children during and immediately following divorce proceedings. The present study utilized an original data set that was collected with fifty-five families (e.g., mother, father, and oldest child) from de-identified reports completed by two private Court-appointed licensed clinical-forensic psychologists. The overarching purpose of the …
Wandering In The Wilderness: A Grounded Theory Study Of The Divorce Or Reconciliation Decision-Making Process, Tamara A. Fackrell
Wandering In The Wilderness: A Grounded Theory Study Of The Divorce Or Reconciliation Decision-Making Process, Tamara A. Fackrell
Theses and Dissertations
In this study, I present grounded-theory analyses of the decision-making process surrounding divorce or reconciliation based on in-depth interviews with 31 individuals thinking about divorce. The overall model of the divorce decision-making process included negative experiences leading to a bad relationship or an unsustainable marriage, the wilderness crossroads, the vast wilderness, and a development of an exit strategy. Repair attempts that were made are what helped the couple move towards a sustainable marriage or closer to divorce. The findings of the present study suggest that the decision-making process to divorce or reconcile can be a chaotic and confusing one—a wilderness—yet …
Predicting Marital Dissolution Using Data From Both Spouses, Chao-Chin Lu
Predicting Marital Dissolution Using Data From Both Spouses, Chao-Chin Lu
Theses and Dissertations
The present research studies marital dissolution using data from both spouses from the National Survey of Families and Households (NSFH) and uses the method of multiple imputation to handle missing data. Role theory and another four approaches (social exchange theory, stake theory, gender perspective and heterogeneity perspective) are used to make a methodological argument why using data from both spouses is necessary to study marital stability. Five data sets are imputed and there are 3,777 observations in each imputed data set. Main research findings are as followed. First, the model fits of the data from both spouses on marital dissolution …
Utility Of The General Validity Scale Model: Development Of Validity Scales For The Co-Parenting Behavior Questionnaire, Kimberly Parker
Utility Of The General Validity Scale Model: Development Of Validity Scales For The Co-Parenting Behavior Questionnaire, Kimberly Parker
Theses and Dissertations
Validity scales for child-report measures are necessary tools in clinical and forensic settings in which major decisions affecting the child and family are in question. Currently there is no standard model for the development and testing of such validity scales. The present study focused on 1) creating the General Validity Scale (GVS) Model to serve as a guide in validity scale development and 2) applying this model in the development of validity scales for the Co-parenting Behavior Questionnaire (CBQ), a child-report measure of parenting and co-parenting behaviors for children whose parents are divorced. Study 1 used the newly developed GVS …
At The Crossroads Of Divorce: A Formative Evaluation Of A Self-Directed Intervention For Utah's Divorce Orientation Education Class For Divorcing Parents, Carma Martino Needham
At The Crossroads Of Divorce: A Formative Evaluation Of A Self-Directed Intervention For Utah's Divorce Orientation Education Class For Divorcing Parents, Carma Martino Needham
Theses and Dissertations
This formative evaluation focuses on feedback regarding a self-guided educational intervention for those at the crossroads of divorce. Entitled Should I Keep Trying to Work It Out? A Guidebook for Individuals and Couples at the Crossroads of Divorce (And Before), this Guidebook aims to help individuals minimize possible ambiguity in the decision-making process surrounding divorce. Fifty-three participants were recruited through divorce orientation education classes to provide formative feedback via brief phone surveys. Eighteen of these provided in-depth interviews for additional feedback. Though the participants in this study were largely past the crossroads of divorce, most agreed or strongly agreed …
An Examination Of Factors That Influence Friendships In Young Adults From Intact And Divorced Families, Stephanie Wolf
An Examination Of Factors That Influence Friendships In Young Adults From Intact And Divorced Families, Stephanie Wolf
Theses and Dissertations
Specific factors affecting young adult friendship development have been identified by the literature with little focus on which are most influential in determining friendship composition.. Hierarchical regression was used to examine such factors. Participants included 400 undergraduate Psychology students at a state university in the mid-Atlantic region. Findings indicated parental relationships were the strongest predictor of friendship quality. Parent-child bonds, conflict between parents, and emotion regulation skills best predicted levels of intimacy. Parent-child bond-especially with mother-best predicted satisfaction with friendship network as did conflict between parents. In addition, parent-child bond with mother and conflict between parents were found more important …
The Impact Of Divorce On Physical, Social, Psychological, And Socioeconomic Well-Being, Robyn J. Barrus
The Impact Of Divorce On Physical, Social, Psychological, And Socioeconomic Well-Being, Robyn J. Barrus
Theses and Dissertations
Divorce brings unprecedented changes. The prevalence of divorce today constitutes a need to thoroughly study the well-being of divorced peoples. This study used a multidimensional definition of well-being to study divorced peoples and other marital statuses. Physical, social, psychological, and socioeconomic well-being were used. This study hypothesized that the married and remarried have higher well-being than the never married who in turn have higher well-being than the divorced or separated. It was also hypothesized that some are pre-disposed to divorce. ANCOVA analysis was used to test these hypotheses in a sample of approximately 9,863 respondents from the NSFH study. Support …
Dating In Midlife: A Dyadic Approach Examining Partner Perceptions On Relationship Quality, Rachel Sheffield
Dating In Midlife: A Dyadic Approach Examining Partner Perceptions On Relationship Quality, Rachel Sheffield
Theses and Dissertations
Using a matched-partner dataset of 660 midlife couples, this study examined dating relationships at midlife from the perspective of both male and female partners. It also explored ways various life course factors such as marital history, children, cohabitation, relationship length, and social approval related to partners' perceptions of one another and to subsequent relationship quality. Findings indicated heterogeneity in midlife dating experiences. Actor and partner effects of enhancement were most often linked with greater satisfaction and fewer problems for never-married couples, yet enhancement was not related to relationship stability for them. For couples where only one partner had been previously …
The Neglect Of Divorce In Marital Research: An Ontological Analysis Of The Work Of John Gottman, Joseph Andrew Ostenson
The Neglect Of Divorce In Marital Research: An Ontological Analysis Of The Work Of John Gottman, Joseph Andrew Ostenson
Theses and Dissertations
This thesis explores why the divorce rate has remained relatively stable over the past few decades, even in the face of rapidly growing social sciences – particularly the branch associated with the study and treatment of marriage – through an analysis of the work of John Gottman. This thesis chiefly claims that divorce is not addressed in marital research. It is argued, however, that far from being intentional on the part of researchers, the disregard for divorce in the marital research is actually due to underlying, unrecognized assumptions. Specifically, this thesis analyzes the most fundamental assumptions – the ontological assumptions …
A Revision Of The Marital Status Inventory: Reliability And Validity With Marital And Remarital Couples, Rachel V. Jamieson
A Revision Of The Marital Status Inventory: Reliability And Validity With Marital And Remarital Couples, Rachel V. Jamieson
Theses and Dissertations
Predicting divorce potential has been of interest to researchers and clinicians. The Marital Status Inventory (Weiss & Ceretto, 1980) was developed to provide information about clients' perceived divorce potential. The MSI has been widely used but there have been complaints about the negatively worded items from clients, therapists, and researchers. Therefore, this study compared a revised form of the MSI (MSI-R has no negatively worded items) with the original format. There were three purposes of the study. The first was to assess the reliability and validity of the MSI-R. The second purpose was to see if the MSI-R continued to …
The Relationship Between Family Composition And Social Behavior For Students With Mild Disabilities In Schools, Amanda Clark
The Relationship Between Family Composition And Social Behavior For Students With Mild Disabilities In Schools, Amanda Clark
Theses and Dissertations
Previous research identifies significant differences in children's problem behavior across various family structures, particularly noting more challenging behaviors in children from single parent families. Utilizing a pre-existing data set of Behavioral Objective Sequence (BOS) scores, this study investigated teacher ratings of social behavioral skills in students with mild disabilities, focusing on differences between groups of students from a variety of family compositions. Results indicated no significant difference in social behavioral skills among children from different family groups, taking into account the student's age. The covariate of age was significant on each of six BOS subscales, suggesting that children develop and …
The Effect Of Child Characteristics And Environmental Demands On Parenting Across Intact And Divorced Families: An Exploratory View, Jennifer L. Stevenson
The Effect Of Child Characteristics And Environmental Demands On Parenting Across Intact And Divorced Families: An Exploratory View, Jennifer L. Stevenson
Theses and Dissertations
Minimal attention has been directed toward learning how children may influence parenting practices and styles within a divorce setting, and - more significantly - how children may influence the co-parenting practices and behaviors of divorced parents. The roles of child temperament, parenting, and their reciprocal interaction werereviewed as they relate to the development of externalizing and internalizing problems in childhood. Literature regarding the impact of divorce on the parent-child relationship was also discussed. A cluster analytic approach was utilized in order to identify three groups of individuals with internalizing, externalizing, and adaptive characteristics. Parenting features were then evaluated across both …
Intensive Co-Parenting Therapy: Piloting A Manualized Treatment For Divorced Families, Jill Allison Ferrante Gasper
Intensive Co-Parenting Therapy: Piloting A Manualized Treatment For Divorced Families, Jill Allison Ferrante Gasper
Theses and Dissertations
Although resilience is the normative psychological outcome of divorce, parents and children of divorce are disproportionately represented in the mental health and legal systems. Due to the great financial and psychological costs of incessant divorce litigation, interventions that promote positive child adjustment while alleviating the costs of litigation are in high demand. Social policymakers and clinicians have responded to this demand via a number of intervention strategies; however, the implementation of many current interventions has predated supporting empirical evidence.The present study seeks to establish the efficacy of a child-focused, intensive co-parenting therapy (ICT) intervention for divorced parents. ICT is a …
The Developmental Timing Of Divorce And Adult Children's Romantic Relationship Quality, Abigail Joy Viveiros
The Developmental Timing Of Divorce And Adult Children's Romantic Relationship Quality, Abigail Joy Viveiros
Theses and Dissertations
Understanding the contingencies that explain whether divorce has positive or negative long-term effects for adult children is at the heart of this study. Although previous studies suggest an association between parental divorce and the divorce of adult offspring, less known is about whether the timing of divorce influences the relationship outcomes of adult children. Using a large nationally representative sample in terms of race (N=6,066), eight groups of individuals (males and females from intact homes, males and females who experienced divorce during adolescence, males and females who experienced divorce during middle childhood, and males and females who experienced divorce during …
Co-Parenting In Intact And Divorced Families: Its Impact On Young Adult Adjustment, Jill A. Ferrante
Co-Parenting In Intact And Divorced Families: Its Impact On Young Adult Adjustment, Jill A. Ferrante
Theses and Dissertations
Co-parenting is the ideal parenting relationship after divorce, characterized by involvement of both parents in all decisions regarding their children. Children who report that their parents demonstrate healthy co-parenting are generally better adjusted than their peers who experience unhealthy co-parenting. The present study examined the potential mediating roles of co-parenting and parenting practices upon the relationship between marital status and young adult adjustment. Data were analyzed via structural equation modeling. Participants were 340 undergraduate students from intact and divorced/separated families. Data were obtained via questionnaires that tapped a range of adjustment factors (i.e., mental health, fear of intimacy, work ethic, …
A Study Of Divorced Mormon Women In Salt Lake County: The Extent To Which They Use The Agencies And Institutions Available To Help Meet Personal, Financial, And Employment Needs, Melinda G. Stapley
A Study Of Divorced Mormon Women In Salt Lake County: The Extent To Which They Use The Agencies And Institutions Available To Help Meet Personal, Financial, And Employment Needs, Melinda G. Stapley
Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of this study was to (a) describe the characteristics of divorced Mormon women residing in Salt Lake County, (b) determine the extent to which these women were aware of and used government, private, and Mormon church agencies after divorce in helping them solve their problems, and (c) determine the extent these women felt each agency was effective.
Responses from the questionnaire indicated that more than half of these women could be categorized as displaced homemakers. Results showed significant decreases in income before and after divorce. The women in this study had higher than national average occupational levels and …
A Study Of Divorce Rates For Temple And Non-Temple Marriages According To Occupational Status And Age At Marriage, Seymour P. Steed
A Study Of Divorce Rates For Temple And Non-Temple Marriages According To Occupational Status And Age At Marriage, Seymour P. Steed
Theses and Dissertations
This study focused upon differences between L.D.S. temple and L.D.S. non-temple marriages (which was used as a measure of religious commitment) with respect to divorce rate, and the relationship of occupational level and bride's age at marriage to divorce rate.
A total of 419 couples were involved in the study. They were all married in 1955, had been born in Utah, and were residing in Utah at the time of marriage. Temple and non-temple marriages were equated for occupational level at the time of marriage. By 1968, the L.D.S. temple married couples tended to be higher in occupational level.
Significant …
Development Of The Marital Dissatisfaction Of Mormon College Couples Over The Early Stages Of The Family Life Cycle, Roy H. Marlowe
Development Of The Marital Dissatisfaction Of Mormon College Couples Over The Early Stages Of The Family Life Cycle, Roy H. Marlowe
Theses and Dissertations
This study investigated the relationship between stages of the family life cycle during the early years of marriage and marital dissatisfaction. From this basic goal the following three hypotheses were derived and tested:
I. Marital dissatisfaction for both husband and wife is less in the first stage than in the third stage of the family life cycle.
II. For both husband and wife the ideal spouse concept is the same in stage one as in stage three of the family life cycle.
III. For both husband and wife socially undesirable perceived spouse concepts are greater while socially desirable perceived spouse …
Three Aspects Of Postdivorce Social Adjustment In Mormon Utah And Protestant Nevada, Sonia Lillard Richardson
Three Aspects Of Postdivorce Social Adjustment In Mormon Utah And Protestant Nevada, Sonia Lillard Richardson
Theses and Dissertations
Since this writer has been confused by what seems to her to be radically different attitudes toward marriage and divorce in her own home town (Las Vegas, Nevada) and in Utah communities where she has been residing for the past five years, the social adjustment of female divorcees in these two locations was studied. The purpose was to begin to build knowledge about postdivorce adjustment, and it is hoped that future students of the family will be inspired to further investigate postdivorce problems.