Date of Award

1990

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Psychology

Abstract

The empirical study of marital adjustment in remarriage has been inadequate to date. Much of the research in this field has lacked scientific rigor in terms of: (1) studying remarried families without differentiating between the various subtypes of stepfamilies; (2) utilizing non-standardized instruments to measure variables; and (3) omitting certain independent variables from consideration. This study addressed all three of the above concerns. It focused on one subtype of remarried families: simple stepfather families. It utilized standardized psychometric measurement devices. Lastly, it focused on several independent variables which had not been adequately studied. The sample consisted of sixty-four remarried females. Subjects were recruited primarily through the Stepfamily Association of America and posted notices. All subjects were paid for their participation. The research design was a stepwise regression analysis. The criterion variable was marital adjustment. Six predictor variables were utilized: time between physical separation and remarriage; current combined yearly income; current amount of contact with ex-spouse; divorce adjustment (quality of contact with ex-spouse); family environment; and social support from friends. The data analysis yielded two factors (family environment and divorce adjustment) which were found to contribute significantly to the regression equation (F (2, 61) = 9.603, p $<$.0001). The regression equation accounted for twenty one percent (21%) of the variance. Family environment and divorce adjustment were found to vary as marital adjustment varied. In addition, several statistically significant positive correlations were found: (1) family environment and divorce adjustment; (2) social support from friends and divorce adjustment; (3) social support from friends and time between separation and remarriage. No correlations were found between marital adjustment and (1) current combined yearly income; (2) social support from friends; (3) time between physical separation and remarriage; and (4) amount of contact with ex-spouse. The results suggest that healthy resolutions of previous relationships are important for the development of current relationships. An alternate explanation suggests that developing a positive marital relationship aids in the resolution of divorce grief. The results also highlight the strong relationship between marital adjustment and family environment in remarriage, suggesting that harmonious adult-child and adult-adult relationships go hand in hand. Other implications and recommendations for future research are cited in the body of the paper.

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