The Prediction of Divorce Adjustment through Emotional Adjustment with Emphasis on Gender Considerations

Introduction: In the growing number of divorces in Iran, the present study aimed to investigate the prediction of divorce adjustment through an emotional adjustment emphasizing gender considerations. Methods: The present study was a correlation study, and data were collected through questionnaires, field study, and library. The statistical population was all divorced women and men in Tehran city in 2017, and the sampling method was purposeful. The sample included 112 divorced women and 134 divorced men with an age range of 20-40 years. For data collection, the Fisher Divorce Adjustment Scale (FDAS) (1) and Emotional Adjustment Measure (EMA) (2) were used. Pearson correlation coefficient, multivariate regression, and multivariate analysis of variance method were used for data analysis. Results: The results showed that there is a positive and significant correlation between emotional adjustment and divorce adjustment (p<0.01, r=.29), and men have higher scores than women in these factors; also, emotional adjustment was a significant predictor of divorce adjustment (β=0.720, p<0.01). Conclusion: The results of this study reveal a series of post-divorce crises requiring management and restoration by divorced subjects. Although the challenges of life after divorce affect both sexes, women are faced with more harm in post-divorce time due to gender barriers. Therefore, programs to help increase emotional compatibility after divorce is recommended. Also, clarification of the divorce phenomenon is better to be considered from different aspects.

Protective Buffering among Post-Divorce Parent-Adolescent Dyads

After a divorce, parents and children try to minimize each other’s distress by hiding their feelings and pretending they are doing fine, a coping strategy called protective buffering (PB). Although there is substantial evidence that PB among romantic partners harms both partners’ well-being, the consequences of PB in parent-child relationships remain unclear. To examine PB among parents and children, we conducted a survey study among 100 dyads of Dutch divorced parents and their adolescent children. We examined actor and partner effects of PB on post-divorce adjustment. We additionally investigated whether decreases in authenticity and intimacy explained the association between PB and post-divorce adjustment. Data were analyzed by employing an Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM) and an APIM extended to Mediation. Results revealed that PB was negatively associated with parents’ life satisfaction, and to children’s life satisfaction and divorce-specific well-being. These negative actor effects were mediated by decreased authenticity for both parents and children. Consistent with research on PB in romantic relationships, PB not only impeded own post-divorce adjustment, but also the adjustment of the person participants tried to protect. Specifically, children’s PB was negatively associated with their parents’ divorce-specific well-being. Although further research is needed, the present study was the first to provide insights into the paradoxical effects of PB in parent-adolescent relationships.

Adolescents’ Post-Divorce Sense of Belonging

A considerable number of children face the divorce or separation of their parents globally every year. As parental divorce is often accompanied by changes in the home and social environment of adolescents, they may experience a diminished sense of belonging to one or multiple social contexts, such as the family, school, peer group, or neighborhood, which can, in turn, influence their post-divorce adjustment. To gain insight into the mechanisms and conditions that affect adolescents’ sense of belonging following parental divorce, we have reviewed empirical research from multiple disciplines from a bio-ecological perspective. This review has shown that adolescents’ sense of belonging can be an important protective factor after parental divorce, and is affected by processes at the micro-, meso-, exo-, and macrolevel. However, extensive knowledge on the determinants and mechanisms that affect adolescents’ belonging in the context of divorce remains lacking. Recommendations for future research are given, as a more thorough understanding of the factors that promote the belonging of adolescents in divorced families can be an important next step in promoting a higher quality of life for adolescents after parental divorce.

Emotionally Stable, Extraverted, Conscientious, and Unambivalent: Iranian Women Successfully Navigating Divorce Adjustment

The aim of the present study was to explore the extent to which the combination of the Big Five personality traits and adult attachment styles are associated with a broad array of divorce adjustment (DA) indicators. A total of 200 Iranian divorced women took part in the study. Participants completed a series of self-rating questionnaires covering socio-demographic, the Big Five, adult attachment styles, and indicators of DA. The results showed that higher levels of the Big Five (with neuroticism reverse-coded) were collectively associated with higher levels of feeling of self-worth, disentanglement of love relationships (DLRS), social self-worth, rebuilding of social trust, lower levels of symptoms of grief, and feelings of self-anger. Higher levels of secure attachment were associated with higher levels of self-worth and DLRS. Lower levels of ambivalent attachment were associated with higher levels of DLRs, rebuilding of social trust, and lower levels of grief symptoms and feeling of self-anger. The role of Iranian culture on post-DA is discussed.