The Impact of Parental Divorce: The Relationship Between Social Support and Confidence Levels in Young Adults

ABSTRACT

Parental divorce is a life transition that affects a substantial number of children each year. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between social support and confidence levels (defined as career expectations and confidence in romantic relationships) for those impacted by parental divorce. Three hundred and twelve young adults participated in the study. The results indicate that the quality of social support had a significantly positive relationship with career expectations and romantic relationship confidence. The findings suggest quality relationships regarding social support are more significant than quantity or amount of social support given by parents, family members, or friends.

KEYWORDS:

• Children of divorce
• social support
• social learning theory
• confidence levels
• post-divorce outcomes

Acknowledgments

The authors express thanks to Cecilia Maldonado, Katherine Hertlein, and Carissa D’Aniello of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, for their review of a previous version of this article.