Today, about 1 out of 2 marriages end in
divorce (US Census Bureau)
Parent-Child Relationships of Divorced
Families
Examine the relationship it has with
marital conflict
Examine the relationship it has with
residential status of the child
Fine, Moreland, and Schwebel (1983)› Intact vs. Divorced Families
Grych et al. (1992) › Marital Conflict – Children felt helpless
Frank (2007)› Mother vs. Fathers (Pre/Post Divorce)
Gasper et al. (2008)› Living arrangements – Custodial/Non
Donnelly and Finkelhor (1992(› Equal Custody
Students who experience high marital
conflict between their parents will have
a weaker parent-child relationship
quality than students with low marital
conflict.
Students will have a higher quality
relationship with the parent they live with
than the parent they don’t live with.
› 20 undergraduate Psych majors
90% White (18), 10% African American (2%)
85% Female (17), 15% Male (3)
Age
Range: 18-26 years
M= 20, SD: 1.927
75% Lived with Mother (15)
25% Lived with Father (5)
24 item survey
Example item:
› “How well does your mother/father
understand your feelings, needs or behaviors?”
7 point scale › (1: None at all, 7: A very great deal)
Scores range from 24-168
› Higher the score, higher quality of relationship
51item survey
Example item:
› “My parents are often mean to each other when
I’m around.”
3 point scale › (0: True, 1: Somewhat True, 3: False)
Scores range from 0 to 153
› Higher the score, higher perceived marital conflict
Experimetrix
Webb 110
Informed Consent
Demographic Survey
Parent-Child Relationship Survey (Fine, Moreland & Schwebel, 1983)
Children’s Perception of InterparentalConflict Scale
(Grych, Seid & Fincham, 1990)
Debriefing Form
Mother-Child Relationship (PCRS)› Lived with Mother
M=138.07 SD= 25.21
› Lived with Father
M=100 SD= 57.07
Father-Relationship (PCRS) › Lived with Father
M=123 SD= 46.51
› Lived with Mother
M=70 SD= 41.07
Mother-Child Relationship (PCRS)
› t(4.532) = 1.445, p=.214
› Statistically Non-Significant
Father-Child Relationship (PCRS)
› t(18) = -2.424, p < .05
› Statistically Significant
Perceived Marital Conflict Scores
› Range: 51-75
› M= 59.35, SD= 6.42
Mother-Child Relationship
› r=.240, p=.307
Father-Child Relationship
› r=.273, p=.245