DEFINING CONSTRUCTIVE ADJUSTMENT TO DIVORCE: I. COMPARISON BETWEEN GROUPS OF DIVORCEES. II. COMPARISON OF THERAPISTS AND DIVORCEES

ROSLYN GARDEN CANTRELL, Purdue University

Abstract

This study involved further development and testing of the Divorce Adjustment Inventory (DAI) and exploration of variables needing further study in the area of divorce adjustment. These variables included: length of time since separation/divorce, feelings of attachment to the ex-spouse, gender differences, insider's view vs. outsider's view, initiators vs. noninitiators of divorce, parents vs. non-parents, and recipients vs. nonrecipients of counseling services. The DAI dimensions included: acceptance of the end of the marriage, functional postdivorce relationship with the ex-spouse, emotional adjustment, cognitive adjustment, social support and adjustment, parental adjustment, children's adjustment, use of opportunities for learning and personal growth, process and outcome of the settlement, and general life adjustment and physical well-being. Analyses show that the DAI dimensions have high internal consistency coefficients, ranging from .81 to .91. Other than Dimension 2, the DAI dimensions were positively related to each other, but not equivalent. The majority of the intercorrelations among the computed dimension ratings ranged from .40 to .72. Eight of the ten dimensions were found acceptable for test-retest reliability. Parents vs. non-parents was the only variable needing further study to find no significant differences. Differences were found among divorcees since time of separation, but it was curvilinear. There were significant differences between males and females in their ratings of importance of using opportunities for learning and personal growth for divorce adjustment, their income level and occupation before and after the divorce, and in their Acceptance of Marital Termination (AMT) scores. Seven dimensions were found to have significant differences of their ratings between therapists (outsiders) and divorcees (insiders). There was a difference between initiators and noninitiators in their rating of Dimension 2 and in their AMT scores. A significant difference was found in several dimension ratings between those receiving counseling services and those not, with individual counseling showing the most differences. There was also a significant difference in several of the dimension ratings between therapists and divorcees according to type of counseling received: family, marital, and individual.

Degree

Ph.D.

Subject Area

Psychotherapy

COinS