The effects of divorce on trust in intimate heterosexual relationships were investigated using a sample of 478 college students (156 males, 322 females). Subjects were asked to respond to scenarios and questionnaires assessing parental marital status, just world beliefs, parental conflict, and trust. Attitudes toward divorce and common problems were also assessed.

The influence of parental marital status and parental conflict on the separation-individuation process of college students was investigated in the present study. Past studies have suggested that parental divorce and parental conflict accelerate separation. However, no studies have measured more than one dimension of separation-individuation. In this study the process of separation-individuation was operationalized as involving three dimensions: psychological separation from parents (Psychological Separation Inventory); emotional attachments to parents and peers (Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment); and the development of an identity (Extended Objective Measure of Ego Identity Status). The sample consisted of 120 male and 120 female undergraduates between the ages of 18 and 22, one-half with parents who were married and one-half with parents who had divorced in the last five years. Subjects completed self-report measures of parental conflict, psychological separation, attachment to parents and to peers, and identity status. Predictions that parental conflict would affect students in intact families differently than their peers with divorced parents were not supported. Instead, parental divorce and conflict were found to have different effects on the components of the separation-individuation process. Subjects reporting higher parental conflict levels described more independent functioning, more negative feelings toward parents, less attachment to parents and to peers, and greater exploration of identity-related issues in comparison to those reporting low levels of conflict. Subjects with parents who had recently divorced reported lower attachment to parents, and greater identity exploration and reluctance to commit to an identity than subjects from intact families. Males reported greater independence from and less attachment to parents, and had committed to an identity without exploration less often than females. Results suggest that parental divorce and conflict may influence adolescent development in different ways. Exploratory analyses suggested that measures of conflict style are more highly related to indices of separation-individuation than measures of the amount of parental conflict. Theoretical and methodological issues are discussed.

Using a stress and coping framework, this study examines the role of religious coping in the divorce adjustment process. This study utilizes three waves of data from a longitudinal study of divorcing mothers with young children. The primary analyses examine the role of religiosity in the divorce appraisal process, as well as the influence of both positive and negative religious coping on divorce appraisal, depression, and changes in religiosity. The study also explores how changes in divorce appraisal and religiosity influence change in depression over time. The results indicate that higher rates of negative religious coping are linked to more negative divorce appraisal, higher levels of depression, and declines in religiosity. In contrast, positive religious coping is associated with increases in religiosity over time. Additionally, findings show that changes in divorce appraisal predict changes in depression, but this relationship is moderated by one’s level of religiosity. / text

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Sciences

Being in love in a close relationship is contingent upon biological, intrapsychic, social and cultural events. Understanding these processes has implications for stability and health in individuals families and society. Various dimensions of love are considered as converging on a more basic concept of vulnerability as a part of the human condition where both love and vulnerability are experiences which shape individual development growth, interdependence and survival or the lack thereof. The objective of this study is to capture the dilemmas which underlie love and vulnerability in a qualitative study. The method is a case study of a story using narrative analysis and the relation of theory to experiences revealed in the story. Analysis included observation of the major premises, setting, structure, images and voices in the story and theories included Lee's (1977) theory of love, Sternberg's (1986) triangular theory of love, attachment theory, social construction, psychobiological theory and phenomenologal theories of love. A summary finds that most theories infer vulnerability as an underlying dimension in processes of love and that vulnerability as a characteristic in human mortality may be implicated in love experiences. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

This study investigates the role of resilience in women coping with the life transition of divorce. Five women were interviewed and an in-depth qualitative analysis undertaken, in order to explore the subjective experience of resilience during the period of separation and divorce, and its effect on post-divorce adjustment. In addition, the usefulness of formal divorce support groups to enhance resilience was examined. It was found that the most important aspects of resilience as reported by the women were social support; spirituality; personality traits such as optimism, courage and resourcefulness; an orientation toward the future; and competence/mastery of one's environment (including mastery of one's thoughts and emotions). It appeared that resilience facilitated adjustment in several ways; notably in providing a sense of purpose, control and competence resulting in an experience of personal growth. All of the women felt that they had developed a sense of their own identity and greater self-determination through the process of divorce. Support groups might be potentially effective in providing assistance in dealing with emotional issues such as anger and forgiveness; with skills development such as emotion regulation and cognitive techniques like reframing; as well as practical and informational support. Such groups might also provide a temporary community of social support where divorced women can interact with other people who are experiencing the same things. The study illuminated the subjective, often unique experience of separation and divorce; this emphasises the challenge for divorce groups to offer support which addresses this uniqueness. / Psychology / D.Litt. (Psychology)

Custody disputes have traditionally been considered a legal matter. More recent trends have seen the recognition of divorce and custody as both legal and psychological events. This necessitated the involvement of professionals of the helping services in custody recommendations. Such a multidisciplinary approach is currently taken by the Office of the Family Advocate, Pretoria, in disputed custody matters. It is suggested that the way in which the problem of custody is currently defined, is on a pragmatic level, and does not include a higher-order awareness as implied by an ecosystemic epistemology. Such an awareness denotes self-reflexivity, and calls for a more aesthetic emphasis. The dialectic between aesthetics and pragmatics is maintained by means of a descriptive look at the various systems involved in a disputed custody case. Adopting an ecosystemic epistemology is recommended, through the metaphor of mediation, as a further evolution of an already changing process. / Psychology / M.A. (Clinical Psychology)

Text in Afrikaans / Hierdie studie handel oor die implementering van groepsterapie met adolessente koshuisdogters, waarvan die ouers geskei is. Die navorser het bevind dat die meeste koshuisdogters se probleme nie in een dag per week, deur 'n diensdoenende onderwyser in die koshuis aangespreek kan word nie. Hierdie bevinding het die vraag laat ontstaan of groepsterapie in die koshuis geimplementeer kan word. Daar was nie voldoende literatuur in sake groepsterapie by normale kinders nie en daarom is 'n loodsstudie van stapel gestuur. Die doelstelling van die studie is om groepsterapie te implementeer by adolessente koshuisdogters. Daar was baie koshuisdogters, waarvan die ouers geskei is, en daarom is die steekproef verder verfyn. 'n Praktiese handleiding, insluitende werkkaarte, is saamgestel sodat groepsterapie vir enige Opvoedkundige Sielkundige toeganklik kan wees. Die groepsterapie is prakties geimplementeer. Die navorsing bevestig dat groepsterapie met adolessente koshuisdogters, waarvan die ouers geskei is, geimplementeer kan word. / This study deals with the implementation of group therapy with adolescent girls in hostels, whose parents are divorced. The researcher came to the conclusion that teachers, who do duty in the hostel, once a week, cannot give enough attention to those girls who have problems. This conclusion raised the question of whether it would be feasible to implement group therapy in the hostel. There was insufficient literature, concerning group therapy with normal children, and therefore the researcher initiated a pilot study. The aim of the study was to implement group therapy with adolescent girls in the hostel. There were many girls in the hostel whose parents were divorced and so the sample was further curtailed. A practical manual including worksheets were compiled to be easily accessible to any Educational Psychologist doing group therapy. The group therapy was practically implemented and confirmed that group therapy can be implemented. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Sielkundige Opvoedkunde (Voorligting))

M.A. (Psychology) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

M.A. / The aim of this study is to develop a divorce therapy program to support children of divorce. The programme is discussed in an attempt at evaluating whether children of divorced families are being supported in terms of their view of the reality of the situation as well as coping with the divorce. Divorce is described as an idiosyncratic life event that causes confusion and fear for all those involved. The affected child is a victim of these circumstances in that he has no control over the decisions that are made and are forced into a position where he is obliged to accept whatever others decide. The child's fear and needs are being ignored. These children have poor self concepts and experience conflict regarding their family concept. This programme was designed as an attempt at supporting children during these difficult periods and involves a comprehensive therapy. In order to accommodate the withdrawn child, the therapy is presented in the context of a group. The child finds it easier to cope if he realizes that he is not the only one whose parents are going through divorce. The child normally experiences feelings of shyness and embarrassment pertaining to the divorce, and regards himself as an outsider at school, and in his peer group. The child who is able to share his feelings with other children who experiences similar feelings will be able to better cope with his situation. The child often feels guilt and blames himself for the divorce. Such feelings are intensified if the parents fail to inform him about the impending divorce. This program offers the child an opportunity to discuss his feelings with other children, and to realise that he is not the only child subjected to divorce. Family concept difficulties occur as a result of the changed family circumstances, which difficulties are of such a nature that the child cannot solve same without professional assistance. In certain instances children attempt to solve their unbearable circumstances by fantasizing about the reconciliation of their parents, and the restoration of a normal and happy family life. This despite the fact that their parents are involved in a second marriage. Loyalty conflicts with associated guilt feelings arise due to the fact that children feel torn between their parents, and are of the view that they are obliged to choose between the parents. The ideal is to teach the child coping mechanisms to cope with the divorce and to support the child at this critical stage of his life.