Adjustment to divorce: a preliminary study among Muslim Arab citizens of Israel

Adjustment to divorce in a sample of 312 Muslim Arab citizens of Israel was associated both with variables that have been shown to affect adjustment to divorce in Western societies and with variables specific to the culture of the study. The former included male gender, education, current employment, fewer accompanying stressors, and greater satisfaction with the divorce process. The latter were the respondents' self-defined modernity (as opposed to traditionalism) and their disinclination to perceive divorced persons as bad parents and spouses and as socially deviant, in accord with the social stereotype of their community.     

A transactional analysis of biobehavioral systems

The system of behavior [B] consists of those transactional interrelationships between organism [O] and environment [E] that govern their commerce. The biological significance of such [O]-[E] interrelationships, their truing through learning, as well as those systems involved in the subordinate and superordinate regulation of behavior, are clear when life, itself, is seen as an emergent property of the [O]-[E] complex. In addition, a systems view of these hierarchically organized complexities suggests that they adaptively self-stabilize and self-organize, over time, as they participate in [L], the organism-environment complex. Such a transactional analysis of biobehavioral systems resonates well with the most basic axioms of Pavlov’s paradigm.     

Adjustment to parental divorce: An examination of the differences between counselled and non-counselled children

To evaluate an innovative counselling service, two groups of children of divorce were studied: one that was receiving counselling and a non-counselled group. The differences between the two groups were examined in relation to such areas as self-esteem and their relationships with their parents prior and subsequent to separation.     

Adjustment to hemodialysis treatment through behavioral controls

The present study was conducted to examine the hypothesis that compliant chronically ill patients, typically described as adjusted, reinforce more positive social environments using behavioral controls than noncompliant patients, typically described as maladjusted. Specifically, it is hypothesized that diet-compliant chronic hemodialysis patients emit significnatly more active involvement-in-treatment behaviors and more social behaviors than diet-noncompliant chronic hemodialysis patients. Subjects, who ranged in age from 30 to 77 years, were outpatients at a kidney center. Behavioral observations were conducted to assess the occurrence or frequency of (1) four involvement-in-treatment behaviors that are routinely taught to all patients and (2) two social behaviors, which were patient verbalizations and smiles. The results showed that compliant patients emitted significantly more involvement-in-treatment behaviors and smiles than noncompliant patients. Results support the proposed control framework that compliant, in contrast to non-compliant, chronically ill patients have recourse through positive behavioral controls when adjusting to the stresses of illness. It was proposed that through these controls, compliant patients reinforce positive environments rather than simply respond to life circumstances as given.     

Workaholism and divorce

This study compared workaholism components and workaholic behaviors of managers currently divorced or currently married. Data were collected using anonymous questionnaires from 530 women and men. 44 divorced and 415 still-married managers indicated similar workaholism and workaholic behaviors.     

Rational divorce counseling

Although most couples' problems are brought to marriage counselors, a great percentage of these marriages, treated or not, will end in divorce. In this article, the importance of the role of the therapist's values and attitudes about divorce is stressed as a significant ingredient in the therapy on this difficult decision. A number of the tasks of RET divorce counseling are reviewed, including helping the individual(s) decide whether to remain married or divorce, reviewing their perceptions for distortions of data and their cognitions for distortions of evaluation or reasoning,and helping them to implement the decision, survive the aftermath, and work out a changed relationship with the exspouse.There have always been many things you can do short of actually ending an unhappy marriage—buying a house, having an affair, and having a baby are the most common, I suppose. Nora Ephron,Heartburn     

Discriminant function analysis of faces III and family satisfaction questionnaires to predict outcome in divorce mediation

Abstract

To identify systemic family characteristics that predict failure in child custody and visitation mediation, the item-by-item responses of 156 divorcing spouses on the FACES III and Family Satisfaction questionnaires were subjected to discriminant function analysis. This produced two theoretically relevant functions, one (adaptability) being statistically significant and the other (cohesion) not, but both supporting present thinking in the literature that high levels of adaptability and cohesion in a family system are detrimental to mediation.     

Midlife divorce initiation: From crisis to developmental transition

The midlife phase in the marital relationship is a complicated transition period, challenging the flexibility and coping skills of every couple. Separation-Divorce Initiation (S/DI) at this time can serve a special function in the change process required in this stage. A comprehensive therapeutic model for S/DI couples is described. It includes (1) assessment of the relationship's stamina and the function of the S/DI; (2) treating symptoms and reactions to the traumatic event in an emergency intervention mode; (3) steps and techniques to help the couple overcome the traumatic effects of the SD/I and to rebuild their relationship on a more appropriate basis.     

Parent interaction after divorce: Comparison of mediated and adversarial divorce processes

The interactions and perceptions of two groups of divorcing parents using different dispute resolution processes were compared at final divorce and at 1 and 2 years post-divorce. Using objective and standardized measures, the effectiveness of a comprehensive divorce mediation process was contrasted to the more customary two attorney adversarial process. The 153 parents at final divorce were part of a larger, longitudinal study of 435 divorcing men and women who were followed from the beginning of divorce to 2 years post-divorce. Parents in the divorce mediation group reported less conflict during the divorcing period, and less conflict, more contact and communication, and a more positive attitude toward the other parent at final divorce, results which remained significant after controlling for several baseline group differences. The majority of differences favoring the mediation intervention continued through the first year after divorce, and disappeared by the 2 year post-divorce data collection. The nature of the mediation process is discussed in relation to these parental behaviors and attitudes.     

Adaptation to divorce and ego development in adult women

The purpose of this study was to assess how the experience of stressful life changes might provide an opportunity for ego development in adulthood. The sample included 104 women in the early stage of the separation and divorce process; 91% of the sample was recontacted after 1 year had elapsed. Longitudinal analyses of the adaptation process supported the hypothesis that marital separation and divorce might be a disequilibrating life change, but one that might foster ego development. Those women who experienced this life change as disequilibrating but who made a successful adaptation by Time 2 showed a significant increase in ego level. Furthermore, those women who were high in adjustment at Time 1 but low in adjustment at Time 2 showed a theoretically consistent regression in ego level. Patterns of adaptation to life changes, their relationship to ego development, and the theoretical implications for Loevinger's model are discussed.     

Separation-individuation as a family transactional process in the transition to parenthood

This is a study of the impact of prebirth level of parental and marital individuation on the course of parent-infant and infant development during the first postnatal year. Support was found for the first hypothesis, namely, that a couple's composite individuation profile, taking into account the prebirth separation-individuation of the father and the mother, and their marriage, would be associated with positive infant development and parent-infant transactions related to separation-individuation and mutuality during the first postnatal year. A second hypothesis, that maternal individuation would most strongly predict infant and parent-infant development at 6 months, while paternal individuation would emerge at 1 year as a strong predictor, was not supported. It was found instead that prebirth maternal and paternal individuation were equally strong predictors at six months, while maternal individuation was the primary predictor at 12 months. Other findings on the direct and indirect associations between prebirth parental and marital individuation and postnatal parent-infant transactions suggest that early separation-individuation processes result from a complex configuration of triadic mother-father-infant transactions.     

Conversion to Islam in relation to divorce in Malaysian family law

Malaysia is a multi-religious country that recognizes two types of family law based upon the Law Reform Marriage and Divorce Act 1976 and the Islamic Family Law. The former administers the marriage matters of non-Muslims, and the latter deals with Muslim family affairs. This paper aims to elucidate the matter of the conversion of a non-Muslim spouse to Islam in connection with an application to dissolve a marriage in Malaysia. When both the husband and wife have solemnized and registered their marriage under the Law Reform Marriage and Divorce Act but one of the parties subsequently converts to Islam, Section 51 of the Law Reform Marriage and Divorce Act contains a provision for the dissolution of the marriage. On the other hand, the Islamic Family Law also has certain provisions to be applied in the case of conversion. As a consequence of the conversion, neither party to the marriage continues to be bound by the same family law provision. Thus there arise several issues to be identified and clarified, such as who has the right to file the divorce petition, which court has the jurisdiction to adjudicate the petition, and whether there is any conflict of interest between the parties in the process of dissolving their marriage. This paper attempts to highlight and discuss the issue of conversion, by making a comparative study between the provisions in the Law Reform Marriage and Divorce Act and the Islamic Family Law.     

Clergy divorce and remarriage

The incidence of clergy divorce and remarriage requires a rethinking of the church's position when the divine intent for marriage is not fulfilled. A ministry to clergy couples and families marked by truth and grace can lead to a restoration of persons and an effecting of constructive ministries for clergy who have themselves been restored.Dr. Brown is Assistant Professor of Pastoral Theology, Princeton Theological Seminary, CN 821, Princeton, New Jersey 08540. She is currently serving as the Chairperson of the Theological and Social Concerns Committee of the American Association of Pastoral Counselors.     

A family systems approach to conciliation in separation and divorce

This paper argues for a family systems approach to families who are in conflict during the process of divorce, particularly in relation to custody and access for their children. The concept of 'conciliation' as a brief method of intervention is both defined and discussed and principles and skills are identified. The influence of the context within which conciliation is practised and in particular, the power which the conciliator holds, or is perceived by the family to hold, is also discussed. These ideas are illustrated by case examples.