Document Type
Honors Project
Abstract
This study addressed the relations between childhood family structures and adult children's romantic relationships. Research indicates that experiencing a parental divorce in itself does not cause strained romantic relationships. However, experiencing parental conflict, and lower levels of maternal and paternal involvement influence attachment style, which influences the quality of the romantic relationship regardless of parental marital status. Among 174 liberal arts-college students, parental conflict, paternal involvement, and maternal involvement were related to attachment style, which was related to the quality of the romantic relationship. Overall, there was no difference between adult children from divorced homes and adult children from non-divorced homes on relationship quality. However, there was a gender difference among adult children from both divorced and non-divorced homes, as women from divorced homes and men from non-divorced homes had lower relationship quality and men from divorced homes and women from non-divorced homes had higher relationship quality.
Recommended Citation
Katowitz, Abigail E., "Family structures and adult romantic relationships" (2007). Psychology Honors Projects. 3.
https://digitalcommons.macalester.edu/psychology_honors/3
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