Marital Sex Role Orientation and Adjustment to Separation and Divorce

Abstract

In order to examine the relationship between sex role orientation and adjustment to marital disruption, a sample of 143 newly separated persons was interviewed two months after separation, and then again 6, 18, and 30 months later. A measure of marital sex role orientation was administered at the time of the initial interview, and dependent measures of adjustment were obtained at each of the four interviews. In the case of women, high family orientation, and to a lesser extent, low self orientation were found to be associated with poor postseparation adjustment. Female marital sex role orientation appears to be a clear and meaningful concept. In the case of men, however, the concept is poorly elaborated and not yet adequately assessed. Suggestions toward the improved conceptualization and measurement of male marital sex role orientation are provided.