The impact of family dynamic on perceptions of marriage and divorce

Abstract

It has been found that individuals with a non-intact family dynamic often report a lower level of well-being, relationship confidence, decision making, relationship satisfaction, and a more external locus of control than those raised in an intact family dynamic. Furthermore, young adults from a non-intact family can have a more negative attitude toward marriage than young adults from an intact family. The current study sought to support previous literature findings in examining individual levels of well-being, locus of control, deciding, as well as relationship confidence and satisfaction. Individual attitudes toward marriage and divorce were also measured in order to determine if there were variances in attitudes of those raised in differing family dynamics. Additionally, the current study used narratives describing characters from an intact and non-intact family dynamic, to determine the perception the participant had of the character in the narrative. This can be used to understand whether previous personal experience reflects on or influences the participant’s attitudes and perceptions of family dynamic forms. The results showed that females from a non-intact family dynamic reported lower levels of well-being than females from an intact family dynamic, whereas males were found to have lower levels of relationship confidence, deciding, and relationship satisfaction compared to females regardless of their family dynamic. Additionally, attitudes toward marriage were significantly higher than attitudes toward divorce overall. Finally, the non-intact family dynamic was perceived as significantly more negative than the intact family dynamic regardless of the participant’s own dynamic. This study helps to develop a better understanding of how being raised in an intact versus non-intact family household could influence an individual’s perspective of themselves, narrative characters, attitudes toward differing family dynamics, and their confidence in interpersonal relationships.