Shannon M. Greene

An experimental evaluation of theory-based mother and mother–child programs for children of divorce.

This study evaluated the efficacy of 2 theory-based preventive interventions for divorced families: a program for mothers and a dual component mother-child program. The mother program targeted mother-child relationship quality, discipline, interparental conflict, and the father-child relationship. The child program targeted active coping, avoidant coping, appraisals of divorce stressors, and mother-child relationship quality. Families with a 9- to 12-year-old child (N = 240) were randomly assigned to the mother, dual-component, or self-study program. Postintervention comparisons showed significant positive program effects of the mother program versus self-study condition on relationship quality, discipline, attitude toward father-child contact, and adjustment problems. For several outcomes, more positive effects occurred in families with poorer initial functioning. Program effects on externalizing problems were maintained at 6-month follow-up. A few additive effects of the dual-component program occurred for the putative mediators; none occurred for adjustment problems.

Ready to Take a Chance Again

Abstract After a marital break up parents may make efforts to find new romantic partners, although little is known about how the process of repartnering unfolds. This study consisted of surveying by phone two samples of divorcing custodial parents who had been identified from court records (N = 39 for recent filers, N = 39 for one-year post filers). Results indicate that repartnering happened fairly quickly, with 50% having had some dating experience even prior to the divorce filing. At one-year post filing, typically parents had dated two new partners (range = 0-7) and their children had witnessed 2.5 new relationship transitions (range = 0-9). Among recent filers, younger parents, those with greater time since separation, and those in households containing other (nonromantic adults) were significantly more likely to have dated. While there were no differences in dating by ethnic group, African American parents reported significantly longer times since separation. Parental strategies for handling children involved encapsulation at 13% of the sample (no child awareness or exposure to dating), graded at 47% (gradual awareness and exposure to dating as the romance deepens) and transparent at 40% (total child awareness and exposure from the first date).

Transitions in Parental Repartnering After Divorce

Abstract Following divorce, the majority of parents will become involved with new partners. While many look forward to the opportunity to establish satisfying romantic relationships, the process of dating and courtship presents challenges to child and family adjustment. There is limited literature on how this process unfolds, and thus, a need for systematic research on divorce and remarriage. This should include considerations of postdivorce repartnering. Toward directing future research, we provide empirical support for nine potential relationship transitions that come into play as adults manage the process of forming new romantic relationships and incorporating them into existing relationships with their children.

Symptom Study in Context: Effects of Marital Quality on Signs of Parkinson’s Disease during Patient-Spouse Interaction

Hypokinesia, the inability to initiate or maintain movement, represents one of the most disabling aspects of Parkinsons disease (PD), and displays intriguing moment-to-moment variability from environmental stressors. Correlates of orofacial hypokinesia (characteristics of spontaneous eye blink and speech) were coded from videotaped interactions for PD patients in maritally distressed and nondistressed dyads. Significant changes occurred only for the patients in distressed relationships on the two strongest neurophysiologic measures of orofacial hypokinesia, rate and duration of spontaneous eye blink. Further analyses suggest two possible explanations for these temporal symptom changes. Distressed spouses may exacerbate symptoms by exposing the patient to negativity. Alternately, nondistressed spouses may compensate for the demands of the interactional task by assuming a greater share of the conversation relative to the patients contribution. Results are linked to existing literature; the role of social and familial support in chronic illness is discussed.

Social Interaction and Symptom Sequences: A Case Study of Orofacial Bradykinesia Exacerbation in Parkinson’s Disease During Negative Marital Interaction

Evidence is rapidly accumulating that disease symptoms are influenced by psychological factors, and most potently, by familial relationships. This case study demonstrated the detrimental influence of negative marital interaction on orofacial bradykinesia and speech productivity in a 74 year old male Parkinsons disease patient. An increase in bradykinesia symptoms followed a series of specific negative comments by the wife during a conversation; these symptoms showed partial reversal during a subsequent conversation with a lab assistant. The analytic method and data summary strategies used to determine this relationship are discussed relative to their possible utility for other disorders.

Characterizing Mother’s Dating After Divorce

Mothers dating after divorce is a dynamic process, where not all mothers date the same way after divorce. However, few studies have examined the different ways that mothers date after divorce, which should influence maternal well-being, risk behaviors, and the quality of their relationships. This study characterizes four different approaches to mothers’ repartnering (referred to as repartnering histories): no dating, dating one partner monogamously, dating multiple partners serially, and dating multiple partners simultaneously. Each repartnering history is characterized by demographic variables, relationship quality, and maternal well-being. Implications of the study are discussed.

Observed negativity in large family systems: Incidents and reactions.

Marital researchers and information theorists have posited that expressed negativity by a family member affects the subsequent interaction. This study examined expressed negativity based on marital quality, stepfamily status, and child gender. Base-rate analyses indicated that negativity occurred once every 12 s. Whereas negativity more commonly arose in families containing distressed marriages, there were no differences in frequency by stepfamily status, child gender, or respective speaker. In contrast, the lag sequential analyses suggested that the presence of girls facilitated a more rapid recovery from effects of negativity. More enduring effects of negativity occurred for 3 of the groups containing boys, particularly with the presence of distressed marriages. Findings suggest deleterious effects to system-level processes when distressed marriages and male offspring are present.

Expressing Negative Emotions to Children: Mothers' Aversion Sensitivity and Children's Adjustment.

Research is unclear about when expressing negative emotions to children performs valuable socialization and regulatory functions and when, instead, it undermines children’s adjustment. In this study, we isolated 1 kind of negative expression to test the aversion sensitivity hypothesis: that rapid increases in mothers’ negativity as a function of increases in the aversiveness of children’s behavior are uniquely problematic for children. During multiple assessments of a divorcing sample over 2 years (N = 284), 12-min interactions between mothers and their 4- to 11-year-old children were recorded. Forty-seven observed child behaviors were ranked from low to high aversive. Within-dyad changes demonstrated that mothers’ general negativity—their tendency to express negative emotion at high rates—was unrelated to children’s adjustment. In contrast, mothers’ aversion-focused negativity—their tendency to increase negative emotional expression rapidly as the aversiveness of children’s behavior increased—predicted children’s poor social competence, poor emotion regulation, and externalizing behavior problems at the next assessment. The findings suggest that negative expression that reflects mothers’ affective sensitivity to aversive child behavior may promote interaction patterns and adaptations in children that are particularly likely to place children at risk for adjustment problems.

Mothers’ Dating after Divorce

Abstract Purpose The goal of this chapter is to examine (1) how children’s rapport with dating partners predicts mothers’ dating stability; (2) how characteristics of dating partners are associated with children’s problem behaviors; and (3) how mothers’ lingering attachment to the former spouse predicts relationship quality of dating relationships. Methodology/approach Data comes from a multimethod, multi-informant longitudinal study of postdivorce dating relationships (N = 319 mothers, n = 178 children, n = 153 dating partners). Hierarchical linear modeling techniques were used to test consequences of breakup of mothers’ dating relationships for children’s behaviors, children’s rapport with dating partners for mothers’ dating relationship stability, and mothers’ lingering attachment for quality of dating relationships. Findings We found that children’s rapport with dating partners was positively associated with dating breakup; more antisocial traits and drunkenness of mothers’ dating partners was positively associated with children’s problem behaviors at breakup; and lingering attachment was positively associated with poorer relationship quality with dating partners. Research limitations/implications Because the focus of this chapter is divorced mothers with children, future studies are recommended to examine fathers’ postdivorce dating relationships. Future research should delineate dating, cohabiting, and remarried relationships after divorce. Originality/value This chapter presents empirical data examining the influence children have on mothers’ dating relationships, the influence of mothers’ dating relationships on children’s behaviors, and the effects of mothers’ lingering attachment to the former spouse on quality of mothers’ dating relationships. Information from this research is crucial for researchers and practitioners to assist mother’s and children’s postdivorce adjustment.

Divorced Young Adult Mothers’ Experiences of Breakup: Benefits and Drawbacks

The goal of the current study is to examine the consequences of postdivorce dating breakup for young adult divorced mothers, ages 21–29. First, we hypothesized that breakup would be negatively related to maternal well-being. Second, we predicted that relationship quality would moderate this relationship. Third, we hypothesized that forming and maintaining new subsequent relationships after breakup would promote maternal well-being. Using monthly surveys completed by young adult divorced mothers over a 2-year period after divorce (N = 51), we used hierarchical linear modeling techniques to test the changes in intercept and slope of breakup for maternal well-being. The event of breakup did not predict the changes in maternal well-being, whereas remaining single after breakup was negatively associated with depressive symptoms. Relationship quality and forming subsequent romantic relationships after breakup did not predict the changes in maternal well-being. Implications for maternal adjustment are discussed.