Caught between Parents: Adolescents' Experience in Divorced Homes

Abstract

This study examined adolescents' feelings of being caught between parents to see whether this construct helps to explain (1) variability in their postdivorce adjustment and (2) associations between family/child characteristics and adolescent adjustment. Adolescents 10 to 18 years old (N = 522) were interviewed by telephone 4 1/2 years after their parents' separation. Feeling caught between parents was related to high parental conflict and hostility and low parental cooperation. Being close to both parents was associated with low feelings of being caught. The relation between time spent with each parent and feeling caught depended on the coparenting relationship. Adolescents in dual residence were especially likely to feel caught when parents were in high conflict, and especially unlikely to feel caught when parents cooperated. Feeling caught was related to poor adjustment outcomes. Parental conflict was only related to adjustment outcomes indirectly, through adolescents' feelings of being caught.

Post-Divorce Maternal Disclosure and the Father–Adolescent Relationship: Adolescent Emotional Autonomy and Inter-Reactivity as Moderators

“…Post-divorce relationships between former spouses and their children are often characterized by complex dynamics, and negative relational processes such as triangulation sometimes occur (Buchanan and Waizenhofer 2001;Emery 1994). Girls' responses to maternal disclosure may reflect a mixture of distancing, feeling caught, and alignment (Buchanan et al 1991). A distinctive response for girls (and the associated impact of the disclosure on their relationship with their fathers) is quite plausible, and influential moderating or mediating variables may have been overlooked in the present study.…”

Factors that Predict Married Partners' Disclosures about Infertility to Social Network Members

“…The subject's perceived closeness with the social convoy member was measured using a revised version of Buchanan, Macoby, and Dornbusch's (1991) closeness scale. Subjects responded on a 7-point scale (1 0not at all, 7 0very much) to five items: (a) How interested is this person in talking to you when you want to talk?…”

Multi-family group therapy for adolescent Internet addiction: Exploring the underlying mechanisms

“…Adolescents reported their relationships with the parent who participated in the intervention on nine items from the Closeness to Parents on a scale (Buchnan, Maccoby, & Dornbush, 1991) from 1 (not at all true) to 5 (very much true). Sample questions included "How openly do you talk with your mother (father)?"…”