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The Effect of Parents’ Attitudes toward Divorce on Offspring’s Attitudes

Gender and Parental Divorce as Mediating Factors

Ball State University

This study addresses three questions: (a) What influence do parents’ attitudes toward divorce have on off spring’s attitudes? (b) How are offspring’s attitudes toward divorce influenced by parental divorce, and do the effects vary depending on the gender of the child? and (c) How do conditions surrounding parental divorce influence young adults’ attitudes? Results indicate that parents have the greatest influence on offspring during the late teen years. Fathers have more influence on sons’ attitudes than mothers; the gender of parent has no effect on the influence of parents’ attitudes on daughters’ attitudes. In contrast to prior research, this study finds that parental divorce continues to influence offspring’s views of divorce after controlling for parents’attitudes only for daughters, not for sons. Postdivorce conflict and diminished closeness to father following the divorce have different effects on sons’ and daughters’ attitudes.

Key Words: parental divorce • attitudes toward divorce • intergenerational attitude transmission

Journal of Family Issues, Vol. 25, No. 1, 112-135 (2004)
DOI: 10.1177/0192513X02250860


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