The differential effects of parental divorce and marital conflict on young adult romantic relationships

The differential effects of parental divorce and marital conflict on young adult children’s romantic relationships were examined in this short-term longitudinal study. Using a sample of 285 young adults, structural equation modeling supported the hypothesis that parental divorce and marital conflict were independently associated with young adult children’s romantic relationships through different mechanisms: Parental divorce was associated with young adults’ low level of relationship quality through a negative attitude toward marriage (positive attitude toward divorce) and lack of commitment to their own current relationships. However, marital conflict was associated with young adults’ low level of relationship quality through their conflict behavior with their partner. These findings are discussed in terms of their implications for future research. The development of romantic relationships in emerging adulthood has important implications both for the individual and for society (Berscheid, 1999; Feldman, Gowen, & Fisher, 1998). Successful romantic relationships promote personal well-being, whereas failure to establish and maintain such relationships is associated with both physical and emotional distress (House, Landis, & Umberson, 1988; Simon & Marcussen, 1999; Weiss & Heyman, 1997; Wickrama, Lorenz, Conger, & Elder, 1997). Consequently, it is important to understand developmental precursors that increase the likelihood of developing stable and satisfying romantic ties (Conger, Cui, Bryant, & Elder, 2000). Of all the factors that could This study was made possible by Grant 90FE0022/01 from the Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families awarded to the second author. Correspondence should be addressed to Ming Cui, Department of Family and Child Sciences, The Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, e-mail: mcui@ fsu.edu. predict the quality of early adult romantic relationships, specific characteristics in the family of origin are especially relevant (Conger et al., 2000). Despite their acknowledged importance, relatively little is known about which characteristics of the family of origin influence young adults’ ability to successfully initiate and sustain romantic relationships and, more importantly, how they do so (Christensen, 1998; Parke, 1998). An exception is the longstanding interest in the impact of parental divorce on offspring outcomes where the intergenerational transmission of divorce is now well documented (Amato, 1996; Sanders, Halford, & Behrens, 1999). Several recent studies have also examined the impact of marital conflict on offspring relationships (Feldman et al., 1998; Kinsfogel & Grych, 2004). In each case, however, little is known about the mechanisms responsible for the documented association. This study attempts to integrate these somewhat disparate literatures by investigating the potential effects, and