Running head: IMPACT OF DIVORCE

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The Impact of Parental Divorce on their Childrens Romantic Relationships
Kerielle Williams, Elizabeth Hares, Sylvia Niemyjski, and Austin Lepper
Touro University Nevada














The Impact of Parental Divorce on their Childrens Romantic Relationships 2

Introduction
As one matures from a child to an adult, there are many factors that can influence who
this person will become. These factors may be emotional, economic, or social and impact ones
future. Whether or not people are willing to accept it, research has shown that divorce does in
fact play a role in peoples tendencies when they reach adolescence. Divorce may have
physiological and psychological effects. Extensive research has been done to test exactly how
divorce affects an individual. Specifically, there is evidence to suggest that parents divorce may
impact an individual's future romantic relationships. According to the Center for Disease
Control and Prevention; the marriage rate is 6.8 per 1,000 and the divorce rate for 44 states
including D.C is 3.6 per 1,000. Seeing that divorce is relatively common, it is important to
research its effects (Marriage and Divorce, 2011). The effect of divorce can be seen in multiple
studies, and has important implications for mental health services.
The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of parental divorce on individuals
outlook on future relationships. It is important to provide further research on this topic since
romantic relationships play a key role in every persons life. This is important from the stance of
an occupational therapist because these factors impact ones life satisfaction and in turn, impact
all areas of occupation.
The main question that was investigated in the current study was: In what ways does
parental divorce impact the thoughts and feeling of their children in concerns to romantic
relationships? Some important issues that were addressed included thoughts on marriage,
positive and negative influences of divorce, as well as what is seen as a healthy or unhealthy
relationship.
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Extensive research has been conducted on the topic of divorce and the influence of it on
childrens romantic relationships. In relation to the current study, various journal articles were
found that examined these effects. The searches were carried out via EBSCO Academic Search
Complete and PsychInfo. Many of the articles found used surveys in order to obtain their
information; though it is important to note that not all of the studies that were included in our
relevant literature were conducted in the United States.
First, the study of Ivanona, Mills and Veenstra (2011) examined the effect of parental
divorce on the time it took adolescents to initiate their first romantic relationships. It was
hypothesized that time for first romantic relationship would be shorted for adolescents who
experienced a parental divorce than for those from intact families. The results indicated that
divorce sped up the transition to first relationships only when experienced in early adolescence,
and that adolescents who experienced parental divorce progressed to their first dating episode
faster than adolescents from intact families (Ivanova, Mills, and Veenstra 2011).
Many studies have highlighted the idea that divorce does not have a uniform effect on all
children and adolescents. The study of Cui, Fincham, and Durtshi (2011) examined a sample of
571 young adults and compared them with those from intact families. Those young adults whose
parents divorced had a more favorable attitude toward divorce. In turn, a positive view on
divorce was associated with lower commitment to their romantic relationships. The perception of
divorce for these young adults was dependent upon the amount of inter-parental conflict and
their parents marital quality before the occurrence of divorce. This is an important aspect of
divorce to consider when determining the variation of effects from divorce.
The study of Jacquet and Surra (2011) focused on the characteristics of relationships and
compared individuals of interact families to individuals from divorced families. The
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characteristics that were examined included: trust, love, conflict, ambivalence about
involvement, commitment and satisfaction. The individuals were then further divided up into
certain stages of dating which included: casual dating, serious dating, privately committed to a
marriage or engaged. The results indicated: At casual dating, women from divorced families
reported significantly more passionate love than did women from intact families. Women from
divorced families were less likely to trust their partners benevolence than were women from
intact families. Women from divorced families reported more ambivalence about becoming
involved in a relationship compared with women from intact families. Casually dating men from
divorced families reported greater ambivalence about becoming involved than did men from
intact families. Finally, women who were casually dating reported significantly less satisfaction
than did women from intact families. In short, it was evident that womens relationships were
more heavily impacted from parents divorce than mens relationships (Jaquet & Surra 2001)
Looking in to even more research, a study of randomly selected college juniors and
seniors who completed questionnaires concerning marital conflict, parental attachment, and
attitudes about love and sex. Results indicated that intimacy was negatively correlated with
parental conflict and divorce. Parental loss through divorce is a disruption of one of the most
significant relationships in a child's life, and it is believed to have negative effects on
relationships formed later in life. Adult children of divorced parents are themselves more likely
to divorce than are those from intact families or those who suffer parental loss through death
Research has suggested that the parents' relationship has considerable influence on the child's
intimate relationships. Children from divorced families have been found to be sexually active at
an earlier age, to have more sexual partners, to be more likely to cohabitate, and to be more apt
to marry at an earlier age (Ensign, Scherman & Clark 1998).
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Taking a closer look at these studies allows one to see important themes throughout the
relevant literature. First, a theme was in the study of Ensign et al., 1998 and Cui, et al., 2011 was
the acceptance of divorce. Both studies concluded that their participants viewed divorce as
something that was acceptable and common in life. All four studies had an overarching idea of
being cautious when in a relationship, but still getting into a relationship faster than children
from intact families. Also, in the various studies that were reviewed, the topic of trust in a
relationship was often seen. Because these themes were so prevalent in previous studies, it is
anticipated that the current study will have similar results.
Methods
Participants
One man and ten women from divorced parents participated in this study. Their ages
ranged between twenty three and fifty six years old. All of the participants were in the Masters
program for Occupational Therapy at Touro University in Southern Nevada.
The participants were part of a convenience sample, they were in the same classes as the
researchers conducting the study. The researchers had personally gone around the classroom and
asked the students who came from divorced parents and who would be willing to participate in
the study.
Procedures
The participants were initially given a short survey (see Appendix A) to fill out prior to
the face-to face interviews that took place. The short survey consisted of 10 yes or no questions.
This survey was able to give researchers preliminary information before the interview, to test or
rule out any discrepancies in the participants responses to interview questions (figure 1). This
study followed a traditional Phenomenological design; gathering information from participants
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on their firsthand experience with parental divorce. A phenomenological design attempts to
understand the meaning behind a group of individuals experiences within a specific subject area.
In this case, researchers wanted to understand the individuals experience with divorce and how
this has impacted their lives. To thoroughly understand the point of view of the participants, an
open-ended question interview was conducted on 11 participants. By interviewing in this
manner, the researchers were anticipating more personal and honest responses. The interview
consisted of 11 open-ended questions (appendix B). The role of the researcher was significant in
this study, the researcher was to conduct the interviews as well as collect and analyze the data. It
was important for the researcher(s) to be personable as well, in order for the participants to be
comfortable in answering questions. The interviews were conducted in study rooms adjacent to
the student classrooms. Each study room had a single table and three chairs. The interviews were
conducted by a maximum of two researchers. Access to the study room and classrooms to
collect data was provided by Touro University Nevada; School of Occupational Therapy. All
research topics were approved by the instructor for the research class. Confidentiality was not a
significant issue in the study, names were not required when filling out the survey or
participating in the interview process. All participants in the study were interviewed in closed,
private study rooms, and their personal information was not released or discussed with
individuals who were not conducting the study. When handing out surveys during lunch break,
discretion was taken so other individuals outside the study were not aware of the purpose of the
survey.
Data was collected from both the survey and the open ended interview. The surveys were
coded for specific themes referred to later in the results section. Data collected from the open
ended interviews was sorted into the previously created themes and allowed researchers to add
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new themes that were not coded or present in the surveys. The interview process was chosen by
researchers to allow for more detailed and first person account of their thoughts and experiences
with divorce and how it has affected their life. Solely giving participants surveys to gather data
may have provided researchers less content and detail. During the interview process, in the event
that a full answer was not given by the participants, the researchers prompted more detailed
answers by saying, tell me more or could you explain in further detail?. This technique
allowed individuals to open up more and give the researchers a more detailed experience.
The school setting was used to conduct interviews in order to accommodate scheduling
and avoid inconvenience to participants. When conducting interviews, the responses of
participants were transcribed word for word on a dell latitude E6430 laptop, provided by Touro
University Nevada. During the interviews, participants were asked an open ended question
about their various experiences; if the question was not understood or needed clarification, the
researched would clarify or word the question differently. Certain phrases were used to elicit
more detailed responses such as tell me more or how did they make you feel. Surveys that
were handed out before the interviews, provided researchers with information such as an age
range at the time of divorce, if divorce has or has not impacted their lives, and if their experience
with divorce was positive or negative overall.
Data Analysis
Coding the information was done by sorting the themes of the responses from the
interviews into categories. The steps involved in this process began with the researchers printing
out the interview questions as well as the transcriptions gathered from each interview for a total
of 11 forms. After the interviews were conducted, the researchers individually read each of the
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11 forms. While reading these forms the researchers established five major themes. Two of the
themes there were subdivided into three additional subcategories.
The themes and patterns that were found were throughout the interviews were items such
as: importance of being right for each other, commitment issues, positive characteristics of
relationships-communication, enjoying each others company, trust and/or honesty; negative
characteristics of relationships- fighting, secret and/or lies, abusive (verbally and physically),
lack of communication, and having a hard time trusting people. Once the themes were
established the researchers assigned colors to each specific theme. While reading through the
interviews, the researchers underlined specific words and ideas with the designated color that
correlated with the themes. When all of the researchers finished individually coding the
interviews they got together and collaborated their opinions. When discrepancies arose, the
researchers then discussed amongst themselves and came to a group consensus.
Results
Throughout the interview process similar themes started to arise in the responses of the
participants. The researchers subcategorized the results into themes that were apparent through
multiple participants when asked the same series of questions.
Importance of Being Right for Each Other
The first major theme was the importance of being right for each other. This came from
detailed analysis of answers that stressed the importance of finding the right person and being
very cautious as to what they want in the relationship. It was reported that 73% of participants
touched on the importance of finding the right person and being extremely cautious in the
process. One participant stated, My parents divorce made me very cautious, it opened me up to
make sure that Im getting what I want out of relationships and to make sure Im not settling.
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Commitment Issues
The second major theme that was introduced throughout the interview process was
commitment issues after their parents divorce. When asked about the negative effects of their
parents divorce 55% reported that because of their parents divorce they struggled with
commitment issues in their own relationships. One participant stated, Im scared to commit to
marriage because I do not want to go through the process of getting married and then getting a
divorce. It was apparent throughout the interviews that participants were hesitant to get married
because they were afraid of divorce.
Trust
It was very apparent that because of their parents divorce many participants suffered
trust issues in their romantic relationships. All eleven participants mentioned trust being some
sort of factor in their romantic relationships because of their parents divorce. Some used it as a
positive characteristic with their relationships while others said that it hindered their
relationships.
Positive Characteristics
When asked about the positive characteristics that the participants could take away from
their parents divorce there were several similar concepts that people shared. Just over 35% of
the participants stated that because of their parents divorce it helped to improve their
communication with their significant other. More so, 45% stated that because of their parents
divorce it helped them to enjoy their significant others company more. One person stated, My
parents divorce in some ways helped improve my relationships by creating a friendship type
relationship first and then it really helped draw me towards people who have similar things in
common to myself. Out of everyone that was interviewed, all had at least one positive factor that
The Impact of Parental Divorce on their Childrens Romantic Relationships 10

could be taken away from their parents divorce. All of the participants had mentioned in various
parts of the interviews that trust and honesty are one of the most important things that they look
for in their relationships.
Negatively Characteristics
As expected, there were several themes that emerged when the participants were asked
how their romantic relationships were negatively affected due to their parents divorce.
Approximately 35% of participants mentioned that because their parents divorce it caused them
to have a lack of communication between themselves and their romantic relationships. Another
73% stated that it negatively affected their relationships because they always thought their
significant other was lying to them and keeping secrets from them. One participant stated, I am
always looking to catch him in the act of something he shouldnt be doing, I feel like he is hiding
things even when he isnt hiding anything. Another person stated, I look to see how sketchy the
person is before I know if I can date them. Of all the negative influences that were discussed
within the interviews there was one participant that reported not having anything negative to take
away from their parents divorce.
Discussion
Limitations
There were several major limitations that apply to the sample pool. For instance, the
sample size was extremely small with only 11 participants. Also, the participants were all
graduate students from Touro University Nevada in the occupational therapy program. This
could have meant that certain life events of the participants all lead them to a certain career
path. This may or may not have had a relationship with divorce, but the sample pool was not
diverse in this sense. All of the researchers had casual relationships with the participants in the
The Impact of Parental Divorce on their Childrens Romantic Relationships 11

study. This may have increased the participants willingness to open-up and describe their
experience with parental divorce and give more details they may have not given if the researcher
was a stranger. However, it is important to note that this relationship may have also caused the
participants to not be completely truthful about their feelings when sharing with their peers.
Lastly, the participants were aware of the topic prior to the interview, which could have impacted
interview answers in the sense that the participants may have known what the researchers
wanted to hear.
Accuracy
In order to ensure accuracy, a triangulation approach with multiple sources of
information was utilized. Two ways were used in which information was gathered from the
participants. The first was the survey that was given out to the participants prior to conducting
the interviews. This allowed verification of the findings with the participants, as a form of
member checking when used with the interviews.
Generalizability
The current study was not particularly generalizable. This was due to the small sample
size as well as the fact that the participants came from a similar background in addition to
pursuing the same career, as discussed in limitations.
Conclusions
This qualitative study of the impact of divorce on childrens romantic relationships
provided useful information that supports previous findings. Similar to the findings of Jaquet &
Surra (2001), the current study also found trust to be a very important factor when taking
relationships into account. With divorce becoming ever more popular in todays American
culture, there is a tremendous need for further study on this specific topic. Clearly, divorce has
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effects on the children, whether they be positive or negative effects. Divorce is a prime example
of a monumental event, and in some cases, life lasting effects on all that those impacted. When
surveying the sample size, it is worth noting that the overwhelming majority were over the age of
18 when their parents were divorced. Within the sample it was found that the majority of
individuals agree that divorce in their family has changed their perspective on marriage and/or
long term relationships. In regards to this, most of the sample agreed that their parents divorce
had affected specifically their romantic relationships in particular. Everyone in the sample agreed
that being in a long term relationship was something that they valued. As mentioned previously,
this information has great implications for occupational therapy. It is important to understand
the reasons for ones emotions and feelings on certain topics so that the occupational therapist
can better address patients thoughts and concerns on these certain issues. In the end, the main
goal is for every individual to live life to the fullest, and if there are blockades to this goal, they
must be addressed for complete satisfaction in life.




















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References
Cui, M., Fincham, F. D., & Durtschi, J. A. (2011). The Effect Of Parental Divorce On Young
Adults' Romantic Relationship Dissolution: What Makes A Difference?.Personal
Relationships, 18(3), 410-426.


Ensign, J., Scherman, A., & Clark, J. (1998). The relationship of family structure and conflict to
levels of intimacy and parental attachment in college students. Adolescence, 33(133),
575.


Ivanova, K., Mills, M., & Veenstra, R. (2011). The initiation of dating in adolescence: The effect
of parental divorce. Journal of Research on Adolescents,21(4), 769-775.


Jacquet, S. E., & Surra, C. A. (2001). Parental Divorce and Premarital Couples: Commitment
and Other Relationship Characteristics. Journal of Marriage and Family, 63(3), 627-638.

Marriage and Divorce. (2013, November 21). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Retrieved February 11, 2014, from http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/divorce.h








The Impact of Parental Divorce on their Childrens Romantic Relationships 14

Figure Captions
Figure 1. Percentage of yes or no answers given by the participants from the preliminary survey.























The Impact of Parental Divorce on their Childrens Romantic Relationships 15

0 20 40 60 80 100 120
Do you think divorce in your family has changed your
perspective on marriage or long term relationships?
Do you think your parents divorce had any effect
on your romantic relationships?
Have you ever been in a relationship that lasted
longer than a year?
Do you believe your parents divorce affected your
ability to trust your significant other?
Were you under the age of 18 when your parents got
divorced?
Is being in a long term relationship something you
value?
Do you believe if your parents divorce would have
occurred when you were a different age, it would
have affected your romantic relationships differently?
Do you feel that you had a different outlook on
relationships before your parents got divorced in
comparison to after your parents got divorced?
Do you feel that your parents divorce has resulted in
you having a pessimistic view on romantic
relationships?
In certain circumstances, would you ever consider
divorce as an option?
Yes
No


.





















Figure 1
Percentage of Student Response
(%)
Effects of Divorce on Relationship Survey

The Impact of Parental Divorce on their Childrens Romantic Relationships 16

Appendix A
Effects of Divorce on Relationship Survey

1. Do you think divorce in your family has changed your perspective on marriage or long term
relationships?
a. Yes b. No
2. Do you think your parents divorce had any effect on your romantic relationships?
a. Yes b. No
3. Have you ever been in a relationship that lasted longer than a year?
a. Yes b. No
4. Do you believe your parents divorce affected your ability to trust your significant other?
a. Yes b. No
5. Were you under the age of 18 when your parents got divorced?
a. Yes b. No
6. Is being in a long term relationship something you value?
a. Yes b. No
7. Do you believe if your parents divorce would have occurred when you were a different age, it
would have affected your romantic relationships differently?
a. Yes b. No
8. Do you feel that you had a different outlook on relationships before your parents got divorced in
comparison to after your parents got divorced?
a. Yes b. No
9. Do you feel that your parents divorce has resulted in you having a pessimistic view on romantic
relationships?
a. Yes b. No
10. In certain circumstances, would you ever consider divorce as an option?
a. Yes b. No







The Impact of Parental Divorce on their Childrens Romantic Relationships 17

Appendix B
Interview Questions
1. What is your current age?

2. Current relationship status?

3. At what age was your first serious relationship? How long did that last?

4. What is your longest relationship?

5. How many relationships over 6 months have you had?


6. How has your parents' divorce influenced your romantic relationships
a) Positively?

b) Negatively?

7. What do you think are the most important characteristics in a healthy romantic
relationship?

8. What do you think are characteristics (or signs) of a negative relationship?

9. Has your parents' divorce impacted your thoughts on marriage for yourself? Why or
why not?

10. In what ways do you think your romantic relationships would have changed had your
parents not divorced?

11. How old were you when your parents divorced?