The divorce process : toward a typology of marital dissolution

Graduation date: 1984The purpose of the present study was to describe the process\ud of marital dissolution. This description entailed collecting information\ud about the process itself and then typologizing divorces\ud on the basis of their trajectories to dissolution. One hundred\ud and seven divorced individuals were interviewed. This interview\ud consisted of three parts. First, participants graphed their relationships\ud from the recognition of significant marital dissatisfaction\ud until the divorce was final. Second, participants divided\ud these trajectories into three time periods: recognition, discussion,\ud and action periods of the divorce process. Third, participants\ud completed questionnaires that assessed the relationship dimensions\ud of love, maintenance, ambivalence, conflict, trust, marital\ud satisfaction, and comparison level for alternatives at each time\ud period.\ud Three types of marital dissolution were identified using\ud cluster analysis. Rapid dissolutions reported the highest mean\ud chance of divorce and slope during the initial two periods of the\ud divorce process. Extended dissolutions were characterized by\ud longer recognition and discussion periods and small slopes. Extended\ud dissolutions were the most turbulent and more critical\ud events were downturns than in the other types. Gradual dissolutions\ud were moderate in comparison to rapid and extended\ud dissolutions.\ud No significant differences were found between participants\ud from different types on the relationship dimensions. Significant\ud differences as a function of who initiated the dissolution process\ud were found on love and marital satisfaction. Initiators reported\ud less love for their partners and were less satisfied with the\ud marriage than noninitiators and mutual divorces. Significant differences\ud were found by time period on all relationship dimensions.\ud Multiple regressions were used to determine what relationship\ud dimensions were predictors of the chance of divorce and the acceptance\ud of marital termination at each of the three time periods.\ud Conflict, maintenance, and marital satisfaction were the strongest\ud predictors of the chance of divorce during the recognition and\ud discussion periods. Ambivalence, trust, and love were the best\ud predictors of the chance of divorce during the action period. The\ud strongest predictors of acceptance of marital termination were\ud love and comparison level for alternatives at each period