The Influence of Divorce Prediction Variables on Divorce Adjustment:

Although marriage, divorce and the adjustment to divorce impact sequentially on an increasing number of Americans, research activities in these three domestic areas have generally proceeded in isolation from one another. In an effort to bridge the explanation of these interrelated events with common variables, this study reformulates, expands and tests the usefulness of Lewis's and Spanier's theory of marital quality and marital stability for the prediction of divorce adjustment. The theory's three major variables, the quality of the marital relationship, the level of alternative attractions and the amount of external pressure experienced to remain married are each assessed for their ability to predict subsequent divorce adjustment in a sample of 216 recently divorced persons.