Young Adult’s Outlook on Marriage: The Influence of Parental Divorce, Family of Origin Functioning and Attachment Style

Abstract

ABSTRACT To elucidate reasons for the variability in attitudes toward marriage held by adult children of divorce, the current, mixed-methods study examined the influence of parental divorce and remarriage(s), family of origin functioning and attachment style variables on young adults’ attitudes toward marriage. Participants who experienced their parents’ divorce, perceived high levels of conflict in their family of origin, were single and presented with discomfort in close relationships were more likely to express negativity in their outlook on marriage. Participants who denied religiosity and perceived their parents as encouraging independence while growing up were more likely to express an ambivalent attitude toward marriage. Lastly, men and those who had experienced their parents remarriage(s) were more likely to express positivity in their outlook on marriage. Although other factors were influential, parental divorce may promote negativity in young adults’ attitudes toward marriage, which possibly contributes to the “intergenerational transmission of divorce.”