Premarital Sexual Behavior and Attitudes toward Marriage and Divorce among Young Women as a Function of Their Mothers' Marital Status

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between daughters attitudes and behaviors and their mothers marital status specifically premarital sexual activity and attitudes toward divorce and marriage of daughters from intact (n=30); divorced (n=30); and reconstituted (n=30) families. Several studies indicating more favorable attitudes toward divorce among children of divorced parents; special problems of heterosexual social development of children with absent fathers; different types of adjustment for different age groups; and the effect of amount of contact with the noncustodial parent (usually the father) and presence of a step-parent are reviewed. The present study drew samples from a population of 875 females in a large midwestern university. All women in the 3 family background groups eventually selected from the population were single with no children. Mean ages of the subjects in each group were between 18.4-18.6. All but 4 were white; mean educational levels of mothers were between 14.4-15.0 and fathers/stepfathers were between 16.1-16.6 years. 2 questionnaire rounds were used: 1) Family Atmosphere Questionnaire Dating and Sexual Activity Questionnaire Attitude Toward Marriage Scale Attitude Toward Divorce Scale and personal Attributes Questionnaire; and 2) a personal interview. Women from intact families reported the most positive attitudes toward marriage: in the intact divorced and reconstituted groups 86.7% 76.7% and 86.7% respoectively said they wanted to be married. Women in the reconstituted family group reported the most attitudes toward divorce: 32.59% were evaluated as accepting while figures for intact and divorced groups were 26.13% and 29.80% respectively. Women from divorced and reconstituted families reported significantly more sexual experience than did those from intact families. Family conflict disruption and the presence or absence of ones father emerged as predictors of dating behavior and attitudes.