Deeper into divorce: Using actor-partner analyses to explore systemic differences in coparenting conflict following custody dispute resolution.

Abstract

Divorce is an inherently interpersonal experience, yet too often adults' reactions to marital dissolution are investigated as intrapersonal experiences that unfold outside of the relational context in which they exist. This article examines systemic patterns of interpersonal influence between divorced parents who were randomly assigned to either mediate or litigate a child custody dispute in the mid-1980s. Reports of coparenting conflict and nonacceptance of the divorce were assessed 5 weeks after the dispute settlement, 13 months after the settlement, and then again 12 years later. One hundred nine (N = 109) parents provided data over this 12-year period. Fathers reported the highest initial levels of conflict when their ex-partners were more accepting of the divorce. Mediation parents reported decreases in coparenting conflict in the year after dispute settlement, whereas litigation parents reported increases in conflict. Litigation parents evidenced the greatest long-term increases and decreases in coparenting conflict. Mediation is a potent force for reducing postdivorce conflict, and this article highlights the usefulness of adopting a systemic lens for understanding the long-term correlates of marital dissolution. Keywords divorce; child custody mediation; emotional adjustment; actor-partner interdependence model; coparenting conflict Divorced families are still families, and, consistent with systems perspective, former partners have considerable influence on each other as families negotiate a marital transition. These issues are particularly apparent when parents are embroiled in disputes over child custody. Coparenting conflict can escalate quickly in response to practical child-rearing concerns or the relational dynamics between parents who are redefining the boundaries of their relationship. In many instances, child-rearing conflicts result from relational dynamics that, at most, are only tangentially related to the dispute (Emery, 1994). For instance, parents may fight for child custody as a means of emotionally (and literally) contesting the end of marriage.Although a great deal is written on the interpersonal dynamics of divorce (Amato, 2000;Emery, 2004;Hetherington, Bridges, & Insabella, 1998;Wallerstein, Lewis, & Blakeslee, 2000), few empirical studies have examined the ways in which one parent's Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to David A. Sbarra, Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, 1503 East University Boulevard, Tucson, AZ 85721-0068. sbarra@email.arizona.edu. NIH Public Access NIH-PA Author ManuscriptNIH-PA Author Manuscript NIH-PA Author Manuscript behaviors and emotions influence or are influenced by their former spouse. In an effort to move beyond static, intraindividual perspectives on divorce adjustment, we examined patterns of interpersonal influence in the context of mediated or litigated child custody dispute resolution in the present article. Our main goals were to investigate how custody dispute resolution alters relational dynamics bet...

Getting Along Better: The Role of Attitude Familiarity in Relationship Functioning

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Post-Separation Conflict Trajectories: A Longitudinal Study

“…The results indicated that forgiveness, satisfaction with financial child support arrangements, and a low level of hostility during the divorce proceedings predicted cooperation between former spouses. Sbarra and Emery (2008) met with 25 separated-parent dyads who had requested a child custody hearing. These parents were interviewed three times, namely in the first months after dispute resolution and then 1 year and 12 years later.…”

Staying Connected when Coming Apart: The Psychological Correlates of Contact and Sex with an Ex-Partner

“…Sbarra and Hazan (2008) proposed that attachment relationships are defined by the coregulation of felt security within a relationship, and that the loss of felt security associated with romantic separations can result in psychological and physiological dysregulation. In order to cope well with separation distress, people must find a way to soothe themselves (i.e., self-regulate) following the separation experience (Sbarra & Hazan, 2008), and this often involves a reallocation of attentional resources away from an ex-partner and toward other supportive people in one's social network (e.g., Davis, Shaver, & Vernon, 2003; Spielmann, MacDonald, & Wilson, 2009). …”

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