Predicting Adjustment to Divorce from Social Support and Relational Quality in Multiple Relationships

ABSTRACT

The purpose of the study was to investigate adjustment to divorce as predicted by social support in multiple relationships to delineate how these interactions, in conjunction with individual characteristics, influence relational quality and adjustment to divorce. Participants (229 divorced individuals) recalled interactions with ex-spouses, family, and friends reporting risk of support, effectiveness of support, closeness and satisfaction, and adjustment to divorce. Risk of support is predictive of less effective social support in the family and friend relationships. More effective support is predictive of increased relational qualities in all 3 relationships but is not predictive of adjustment. The current relational qualities with the ex-spouse, in addition to individual divorcee characteristics, emerged as predictive of adjustment.

KEYWORDS:

• Adjustment to divorce
• divorce network
• social support

Acknowledgment

The author would like to thank Dr. Jordan Soliz for his feedback and support during this project.

Notes

¹ When using the same measure across relational targets there is a possibility that differences between targets exist due to measurement variance as opposed to true differences. To examine this, confirmatory factor analyses CFAs were first conducted for all scales for all relational partners. Each scale indicated acceptable fit before proceeding. Invariance testing for each item and scale across relational targets was then conducted. Although full invariance was not achieved, partial invariance was, and thus I proceeded to path analysis with the scales resulting from CFA testing. Results of the invariance testing and implications are available from the author.