The Relationship of Ex-Spouse Attachment to Adjustment Following Divorce

This study examines the loss of the bond with one's spouse resulting from marital breakdown and its impact on the divorced adult, using a sample of 60 recently divorced women. Two questions are addressed: Are ongoing attachment and postdivorce emotional distress equivalent or distinct construct...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of family psychology 1988-03, Vol.1 (3), p.312-328
Main Author: Berman, William H
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adjustment
Attachment Behavior
Connecticut
Distress
Divorce
Divorced Persons
Emotional Adjustment
Human
Mothers
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Summary:This study examines the loss of the bond with one's spouse resulting from marital breakdown and its impact on the divorced adult, using a sample of 60 recently divorced women. Two questions are addressed: Are ongoing attachment and postdivorce emotional distress equivalent or distinct constructs? To what extent does postdivorce attachment exacerbate emotional distress? As expected, attachment and distress were found to be distinct constructs. Furthermore, continued attachment was significantly correlated with emotional distress, even when the effects of socioeconomic, familial, and social factors are controlled. The implications of these data for understanding the complex interpersonal process of postdivorce adaptation, and for the role of attachment throughout the life cycle, are discussed.
ISSN:0893-3200
1939-1293
DOI:10.1037/h0080455