The Differential Effects of Marital and Custodial Status on Perceptions of Mothers and Fathers

Abstract

While divorced persons are viewed more negatively than married persons, there has been no research on the effects of marital and custodial status on perceptions of parents. Half of each of 60 male and 60 female adults were randomly assigned to rate either three mother or three father stimulus persons, each briefly described as a married parent, divorced with custody, or divorced without custody on tour different scales developed by Hoffman and Willers (1996): Interpersonal Adjustment, Psychological Deviance, Morality, and Professional Competence. Married mothers were the most highly rated group and were more positively evaluated than custodial mothers; both groups were more positively rated than noncustodial mothers. Ratings for married and custodial fathers did not differ from one another, with both groups evaluated more positively than noncustodial fathers. Gender differences were interpreted in relation to differential normative parenting roles for mothers and for fathers, particularly in the aftermath of divorce.