Understanding the attitudes toward marriage of never-married female young adult children of divorce using Bowen theory

The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of the attitudes toward marriage of female, young adult children of divorce utilizing Bowen family systems theory. Three research questions guided this dissertation: (1) What are the marital attitudes of adult children of divorce (ACODs)? (2) According to the perceptions of the ACODs, to what extent did the ACODs experience parental conflict triangulation, and emotional cutoff within their families of origin? (3) How can Bowen theory, particularly the concept of differentiation of self, be used to explain the influence of family of origin parental conflict, triangulation, and emotional cutoff on the marital attitudes of ACODs? Nine female participants completed the Marital Attitude Scale (MAS), the Differentiation of Self Inventory (DSI), and a semi-structured interview. This study found that all nine participants earned scores at or below the mean on the MAS, indicating that they tend to hold more negative marital attitudes than the normative population. In addition to having negative marital attitudes, most of the participants also reported some degree of parental conflict and triangulation within their families of origin prior to the parental breakup. The relationship between attitudes toward marriage and family of origin processes such as parental marital conflict and triangulation can best be understood by Bowen theory as an intergenerational transmission of anxiety. Differentiation of self did not appear to influence marital attitudes. The limitations of the study and recommendations for future research are also presented.