College Students' Attitudes Toward Divorce Based on Gender, Parental Divorce, and Parental Relationships

Abstract

This study examined three predictors of attitudes toward divorce using data from 150 college students (55 males, 95 females) with a mean age of 18. Participants completed a questionnaire that measured parental conflict experienced during elementary school and secondary school, type of parental conflict resolution (positive or negative), and expected likelihood of divorce in seven hypothetical situations: affair, a lot of arguing, no love, no magic, physical abuse, spouse turned out different, and verbal abuse. MANOVAs indicated that gender differences existed for likely reasons for divorce. Parental divorce was positively associated with participant likelihood of divorce. Finally, an interaction between gender and parental conflict resolution emerged: males who had experienced negative conflict resolution in their family of origin were more likely than females who had experienced similar negative conflict resolution, as well as other males who had experienced positive conflict resolution, to anticipate divorcing in several hypothetical situations.

Key Words:

• Divorce
• gender
• parental conflict