A 20-year prospective study of marital separation and divorce in stepfamilies

Appraisals of family stress as predictors

Bibliographic Data

ID2937546
AuthorsEllen Stephenson (0000-0003-1869-0073, University of British Columbia, corresponding author), Anita Delongis (0000-0002-6508-3869, University of British Columbia)
Year2019
Volume36
Issue6
Pages1600-1618
Publication date2019-06-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Social and Personal Relationships (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0265-4075 • E-ISSN: 1460-3608
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/0265407518768445
OpenAlexW2797373341
LanguageEN
Citations received6
References cited50

The current study aimed to test competing hypotheses about the role of appraisals of family stressor severity in long-term relationship outcomes. Traditional cognitive models of stress predict that those who appraise stress as most serious are at greatest risk of poor outcomes. However, social contextual and dyadic models of stress and coping argue that a belief that one's spouse shares in this appraisal might play a protective role in marital outcomes. We examined the associations between appraisals of family stressor severity and subsequent marital dissolution in a sample of 170 couples in stepfamilies. Stepfamilies are an at-risk group, given they have been found to experience a greater number and variety of stressors as compared to traditional families, and have an increased risk of marital instability. As predicted by traditional cognitive models of stress, participants who reported family problems that they appraised as more serious were found to be at greater risk of marital dissolution over time. However, the risk of separation or divorce was lower when participants reported that their spouse also considered the problem as serious. In addition, comparing data from both spouses indicated that when both reported the same problem as their most serious, the risk of marital dissolution was also decreased. Our findings support social contextual and dyadic coping models in which shared appraisals of stress, and even the perception of such, can serve a protective function. Understanding how couples appraise the stressors they encounter may help identify useful targets for preventive marital interventions

Coping (psychology · Developmental psychology · Marital separation · Psychiatry · Psychological intervention · Social support · Spouse · Stepfamily · Stressor · Attachment and Relationship Dynamics · Clinical Psychology · Family Dynamics and Relationships · Intergenerational Family Dynamics and Caregiving · Psychology · Social Psychology

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