Research on Divorce: Continuing Trends and New Developments

Amato, Paul R.

doi:10.1111/j.1741-3737.2010.00723.x

Cited by 1,918Family Dynamics and RelationshipsMarriage and Family DynamicsAttachment and Relationship Dynamics

Research on Divorce: Continuing Trends and New Developments

Amato, Paul R.·2010·Journal of Marriage and Family

DOI 10.1111/j.1741-3737.2010.00723.x

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Abstract

Research on divorce during the past decade has focused on a range of topics, including the predictors of divorce, associations between divorce and the well‐being of children and former spouses, and interventions for divorcing couples. Methodological advances during the past decade include a greater reliance on nationally representative longitudinal samples, genetically informed designs, and statistical models that control for time‐invariant sources of unobserved heterogeneity. Emerging perspectives, such as a focus on the number of family transitions rather than on divorce as a single event, are promising. Nevertheless, gaps remain in the research literature, and the review concludes with suggestions for new studies.

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D'Onofrio, B. M., Turkheimer, E. N., Emery, R. E., Harden, K. P., Slutske, W. S., Heath, A. C., Madden, P. A. F., & Martin, N. G. (2007) · Journal of Marriage and the Family · doi:10.1111/j.1741-3737.2007.00406.x · Cited by 66 · see citing works
Predicting the Timing of Separation and Marital Satisfaction: An Eight‐Year Prospective Longitudinal Study
Kurdek, L. A. (2002) · Journal of Marriage and the Family · doi:10.1111/j.1741-3737.2002.00163.x · Cited by 62 · see citing works
Between Two Worlds: The Inner Lives of Children of Divorce
Marquardt, E. (2005) · Cited by 59 · see citing works
Genotype–environment interaction in children's adjustment to parental separation
O’Connor, T. G., Caspi, A., DeFries, J. C., & Plomin, R. J. (2003) · Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry · doi:10.1111/1469-7610.00169 · Cited by 56 · see citing works
How Does Premarital Cohabitation Affect Trajectories of Marital Quality?
Tach, L., & Halpern‐Meekin, S. (2009) · Journal of Marriage and the Family · doi:10.1111/j.1741-3737.2009.00600.x · Cited by 55 · see citing works
Racial and Ethnic Differences in Experiencing Parents’ Marital Disruption During Late Adolescence
Sun, Y., & Li, Y. (2007) · Journal of Marriage and the Family · doi:10.1111/j.1741-3737.2007.00403.x · Cited by 45 · see citing works
Family Structure and Mediators of Adolescent Drug Use
Broman, C. L., Li, X., & Reckase, M. D. (2008) · Journal of Family Issues · doi:10.1177/0192513x08322776 · Cited by 41 · see citing works
Impact of parental separation and divorce on adopted and nonadopted children.
Brodzinsky, D. M., Hitt, J. C., & Smith, D. W. (1993) · American Journal of Orthopsychiatry · doi:10.1037/h0079447 · Cited by 39 · see citing works
PARENTING COORDINATION (PC) PRACTICE: A SURVEY OF EXPERIENCED PROFESSIONALS
Kirkland, K., & Sullivan, M. (2008) · Family Court Review · doi:10.1111/j.1744-1617.2008.00228.x · Cited by 39 · see citing works
Marital Disruption and Accidents/Injuries Among Children
Hango, D. W., & Houseknecht, S. K. (2004) · Journal of Family Issues · doi:10.1177/0192513x03259146 · Cited by 33 · see citing works
Assessing the impact of community marriage policies® on county divorce rates*
Birch, P. J., Weed, S. E., & Olsen, J. A. (2004) · Family Relations · doi:10.1111/j.0197-6664.2004.00058.x · Cited by 32 · see citing works
Double impact: What sibling data can tell us about the long‐term negative effects of parental divorce*
Wolfinger, N. H., Kowaleski‐Jones, L., & Smith, K. R. (2003) · Biodemography and Social Biology · doi:10.1080/19485565.2003.9989065 · Cited by 31 · see citing works
The Relationship Between Mandatory Divorce Education and Level of Post-Divorce Parental Conflict
Criddle, M. N., Allgood, S. M., & Piercy, K. W. (2003) · Journal of Divorce & Remarriage · doi:10.1300/j087v39n03_05 · Cited by 26 · see citing works
STATUS OF COURT‐CONNECTED PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN WHOSE PARENTS ARE SEPARATING OR DIVORCING
Geelhoed, R. J., Blaisure, K. R., & Geasler, M. J. (2001) · Family Court Review · doi:10.1111/j.174-1617.2001.tb00621.x · Cited by 25 · see citing works
Educational Interventions for Separating and Divorcing Parents and Their Children
Blaisure, K. R., & Geasler, M. J. (2005) · doi:10.4324/9781315820880.ch28 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
Race Differences in the Mental Health Effects of Divorce
Barrett, A. E. (2003) · Journal of Family Issues · doi:10.1177/0192513x03256396 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
Assessing Custodial Mother Adjustment to Divorce
Zimmerman, D. K., Brown, J. H., & Portes, P. R. (2004) · Journal of Divorce & Remarriage · doi:10.1300/j087v41n01_01 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
Mending broken families : social policies for divorced families : how effective are they?
Douglas, E. M. (2006) · Journal of international women's studies · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Effects of family structure on the risk of first premarital birth in the presence of correlated unmeasured family effects
Powers, D. A. (2004) · Social Science Research · doi:10.1016/j.ssresearch.2004.04.007 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
In the Presence of Grief: The Role of Cognitive-Emotional Adaptation in Contemporary Divorce Mediation
Sbarra, D. A., & Emery, R. E. (2013) · doi:10.4324/9781315820880-40 · Cited by 8 · see citing works

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Sorted by citations

A Handbook for the Study of Mental Health Second Edition
Scheid, T. L., & Brown, T. N. (2009) · Cited by 1,320 · see citing works
Gender and Mental Health
Rosenfield, S., & Mouzon, D. M. (2012) · Handbooks of sociology and social research · doi:10.1007/978-94-007-4276-5_14 · Cited by 553 · see citing works
The Gray Divorce Revolution: Rising Divorce Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults, 1990-2010
Brown, S. L., & Lin, I. (2012) · The Journals of Gerontology Series B · doi:10.1093/geronb/gbs089 · Cited by 481 · see citing works
“Although divorce has been studied extensively among younger adults, the research to date has essentially ignored divorce that occurs to adults aged 50 and older (Amato, 2010; Cooney & Dunne, 2001; Sweeney, 2010).”
BackgroundResultInfluential
Divorce, Repartnering, and Stepfamilies: A Decade in Review
Raley, R. K., & Sweeney, M. M. (2020) · Journal of Marriage and the Family · doi:10.1111/jomf.12651 · Cited by 454 · see citing works
Long-Term Physical Health Consequences of Adverse Childhood Experiences
Monnat, S. M., & Chandler, R. F. (2015) · The Sociological Quarterly · doi:10.1111/tsq.12107 · Cited by 380 · see citing works
Mismatch or cumulative stress: Toward an integrated hypothesis of programming effects
Nederhof, E., & Schmidt, M. V. (2012) · Physiology & Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2011.12.008 · Cited by 363 · see citing works
“More common stressors, such as parental divorce [40–43] or low socioeconomic status during childhood [44,45] are associated with psychopathology as well.”
Background
Labeling and Stigma
Link, B. G., & Phelan, J. C. (2012) · Handbooks of sociology and social research · doi:10.1007/978-94-007-4276-5_25 · Cited by 304 · see citing works
Infidelity in romantic relationships
Fincham, F. D., & May, R. W. (2017) · Current Opinion in Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.copsyc.2016.03.008 · Cited by 291 · see citing works
First marriages in the United States: data from the 2006-2010 National Survey of Family Growth.
Copen, C. E., Daniels, K. M., Vespa, J., & Mosher, W. D. (2012) · PubMed · Cited by 290 · see citing works
Estimating the Effects of Parental Divorce and Death With Fixed Effects Models
Amato, P. R., & Anthony, C. J. (2014) · Journal of Marriage and the Family · doi:10.1111/jomf.12100 · Cited by 272 · see citing works
“In reviews of the research literature on family structure and child wellbeing, Amato (2010), McLanahan et al. (2013), and Sweeney (2010) all recommended that researchers working in this area conduct new studies with fixed effects models and related methods for dealing with omitted-variable bias.”
BackgroundResultInfluentialSelf-citation
Conscientiousness: Origins in childhood?
Eisenberg, N., Duckworth, A. L., Spinrad, T. L., & Valiente, C. (2012) · Developmental Psychology · doi:10.1037/a0030977 · Cited by 277 · see citing works
“…with more distal predictors, there is evidence that family structure (e.g., married vs. single parent), being from a majority group, and financial resources are associated with high motivation and subsequent achievement (Amato, 2010; Crosnoe, 2006; Evans, 2004; Yeung, Linver, & Brooks-Gunn, 2002).”
Background
Divorce and Death
Sbarra, D. A., Law, R. W., & Portley, R. (2011) · Perspectives on Psychological Science · doi:10.1177/1745691611414724 · Cited by 270 · see citing works
“Most adults manage the transition of divorce well and can be described as resilient (Amato, 2010; Mancini, Bonanno, & Clark, in press); however, for a small percentage of people, marital separation and divorce are acute stressors that become chronic.”
Background
Springer Proceedings in Mathematics & Statistics
Jallo, D., Budai, V., Boginski, V. L., Goldengorin, B. I., & Pardalos, P. M. (2013) · Cited by 229 · see citing works
The Consequences of Divorce for Adults and Children: An Update
Amato, P. R. (2014) · Drustvena istrazivanja · doi:10.5559/di.23.1.01 · Cited by 226 · see citing works
Self-citation
A Critical Examination of Popular Assumptions About the Benefits and Outcomes of Monogamous Relationships
Conley, T. D., Ziegler, A., Moors, A. C., Matsick, J. L., & Valentine, B. A. (2012) · Personality and Social Psychology Review · doi:10.1177/1088868312467087 · Cited by 226 · see citing works
“However, as our discussion has shown, we have ample reason to question the overall advantages of monogamy given persistent infidelity, complaints about lack of attraction for a monogamous partner, and divorce rates within the United States at nearly 50% (Amato, 2010).”
Background
A meta-analysis on interparental conflict, parenting, and child adjustment in divorced families: Examining mediation using meta-analytic structural equation models
van Dijk, R., van der Valk, I. E., Deković, M., & Branje, S. (2020) · Clinical Psychology Review · doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2020.101861 · Cited by 243 · see citing works
Family Dynamics and Child Outcomes: An Overview of Research and Open Questions
Härkönen, J., Bernardi, F., & Boertien, D. (2017) · European Journal of Population / Revue européenne de Démographie · doi:10.1007/s10680-017-9424-6 · Cited by 219 · see citing works
“As a result of the separation, children cease to live full-time with both parents, which requires adjustment to the new situation and can start, intensify, or end exposure to parental conflict (Amato 2010; Cherlin 1999; Pryor and Rodgers 2001).”
Background
The development of loneliness through adolescence and young adulthood: Its nature, correlates, and midlife outcomes.
von Soest, T., Luhmann, M., & Gerstorf, D. (2020) · Developmental Psychology · doi:10.1037/dev0001102 · Cited by 211 · see citing works
A Life-Changing Event: First Births and Men's and Women's Attitudes to Mothering and Gender Divisions of Labor
Baxter, J., Buchler, S., Perales, F., & Western, M. (2014) · Social Forces · doi:10.1093/sf/sou103 · Cited by 209 · see citing works
“Parenthood also affects relationship quality and outcomes, including the likelihood of separation and divorce and the subjective well-being and health of parents (Amato 2010).”
Background
Children's and Parents’ Well‐Being in Joint Physical Custody: A Literature Review
Steinbach, A. (2018) · Family Process · doi:10.1111/famp.12372 · Cited by 195 · see citing works
“Countless studies have shown that separation or divorce is associated with lower levels of well-being for children and for parents (e.g., Amato, 2010; Härkönen, Bernardi, & Boertien, 2017).”
Background
The development of global and domain-specific self-esteem from age 13 to 31.
von Soest, T., Wichstrøm, L., & Kvalem, I. L. (2015) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · doi:10.1037/pspp0000060 · Cited by 193 · see citing works
The reversal of gender inequality in education, union formation and fertility in Europe
Bavel, J. V. (2013) · Vienna Yearbook of Population Research · doi:10.1553/populationyearbook2012s127 · Cited by 178 · see citing works
“A case in point is the US, where the education of both spouses is negatively associated with divorce (Amato 2010).”
Background
The long-term consequences of parental divorce for children’s educational attainment
Bernardi, F., & Radl, J. (2014) · Demographic Research · doi:10.4054/demres.2014.30.61 · Cited by 173 · see citing works
Stressors and Turning Points in High School and Dropout
Dupéré, V., Leventhal, T., Dion, É., Crosnoe, R. L., Archambault, I., & Janosz, M. (2014) · Review of Educational Research · doi:10.3102/0034654314559845 · Cited by 183 · see citing works
“604 In studies of dropout, stress proliferation and configuration suggests, for instance, that parental divorce may be especially likely to curb school perseverance when it comes with other stressors, such as a significant loss of family income, parental substance abuse, residential mobility, and social isolation on e…”
Background
Marriage, Cohabitation, and Divorce in Later Life
Brown, S. L., & Wright, M. R. (2017) · Innovation in Aging · doi:10.1093/geroni/igx015 · Cited by 170 · see citing works
“Individuals who have experienced divorce are more likely to divorce again in the event of an unsatisfactory marriage (Amato, 2010).”
Background
Mediation and moderation of divorce effects on children’s behavior problems.
Weaver, J. M., & Schofield, T. J. (2014) · Journal of Family Psychology · doi:10.1037/fam0000043 · Cited by 169 · see citing works
“Many of the children caught up in the experience of divorce exhibit difficulties in functioning, including frequent behavior problems and deficiencies in academic performance, even years following the event (Amato, 2001, 2010; Amato & Keith, 1991; Lansford et al., 2006; Wood, Repute, & Rosh, 2004).”
Background
Marriage and Masculinity: Male-Breadwinner Culture, Unemployment, and Separation Risk in 29 Countries
Goñalons-Pons, P., & Gangl, M. (2021) · American Sociological Review · doi:10.1177/00031224211012442 · Cited by 176 · see citing works
Reconsidering the “Good Divorce”
Amato, P. R., Kane, J. B., & James, S. L. (2011) · Family Relations · doi:10.1111/j.1741-3729.2011.00666.x · Cited by 159 · see citing works
“The research literature indicates that divorce is associated with an increased risk of behavioral, psychological, and academic problems among children (Amato, 2000, 2010; Hetherington & Kelly, 2002; Kelly & Emery, 2003).”
BackgroundSelf-citation
Family structure, victimization, and child mental health in a nationally representative sample
Turner, H. A., David Finkelhor, B., Hamby, S. L., & Shattuck, A. (2013) · Social Science & Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2013.02.034 · Cited by 155 · see citing works
When Leaving Your Ex, Love Yourself
Sbarra, D. A., Smith, H. L., & Mehl, M. R. (2012) · Psychological Science · doi:10.1177/0956797611429466 · Cited by 158 · see citing works
“An important task in research on divorce is identifying moderating variables that predict positive outcomes (Amato, 2010); we believe that the yet-unstudied construct of selfcompassion may be one such variable.”
BackgroundInfluential
Pornography and Marriage
Doran, K. B., & Price, J. (2014) · Journal of Family and Economic Issues · doi:10.1007/s10834-014-9391-6 · Cited by 150 · see citing works
Divorce and Health
Sbarra, D. A. (2015) · Psychosomatic Medicine · doi:10.1097/psy.0000000000000168 · Cited by 144 · see citing works
“These studies and the broader literature on resilience after divorce (25) illustrate a key point: most people fare well, but some people suffer quite a lot.”
Background
Single-parent family structure and sleep problems in black and white adolescents
Troxel, W., Lee, L., Hall, M. H., & Matthews, K. A. (2013) · Sleep Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.sleep.2013.10.012 · Cited by 138 · see citing works
“Previous research on single parenthood and child and adolescent outcomes suggests that not only are there race differences in the likelihood of growing up in a single-parent home [29], but there also are race differences in the magnitude of the effects of”
New Partners, More Kids
Guzzo, K. B. (2014) · The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science · doi:10.1177/0002716214525571 · Cited by 135 · see citing works
Divorce in sub‐Saharan Africa: Are Unions Becoming Less Stable?
Clark, S., & Brauner‐Otto, S. R. (2015) · Population and Development Review · doi:10.1111/j.1728-4457.2015.00086.x · Cited by 135 · see citing works
Till Porn Do Us Part? A Longitudinal Examination of Pornography Use and Divorce
Perry, S. L., & Schleifer, C. (2017) · The Journal of Sex Research · doi:10.1080/00224499.2017.1317709 · Cited by 138 · see citing works
“Divorce affects a number of other groups beyond the married couple, including their children, their community, and the economy (Amato, 2010; McManus & DiPrete, 2001); and because pornography use is growing among younger Americans, any observed association between porn use and marital stability could portend broader so…”
BackgroundResultInfluential
The Cambridge Handbook of Personality Psychology
(2020) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108264822 · Cited by 140 · see citing works
Unmarried Boomers Confront Old Age: A National Portrait
Lin, I., & Brown, S. L. (2012) · The Gerontologist · doi:10.1093/geront/gnr141 · Cited by 134 · see citing works
WHEN THE TIES THAT BIND UNWIND: EXAMINING THE ENDURING AND SITUATIONAL PROCESSES OF CHANGE BEHIND THE MARRIAGE EFFECT
Bersani, B. E., & Doherty, E. E. (2013) · Criminology · doi:10.1111/1745-9125.12008 · Cited by 130 · see citing works
“This gap is notable given the history of research on the inﬂuence of relationship characteristics on entry and exit from marriage (Amato, 2010).”
Family Status and Mental Health: Recent Advances and Future Directions
Umberson, D., Thomeer, M. B., & Williams, K. (2012) · Handbooks of sociology and social research · doi:10.1007/978-94-007-4276-5_20 · Cited by 127 · see citing works
Red States, Blue States, and Divorce: Understanding the Impact of Conservative Protestantism on Regional Variation in Divorce Rates
Glass, J., & Levchak, P. J. (2014) · American Journal of Sociology · doi:10.1086/674703 · Cited by 122 · see citing works
Do Changes to Family Structure Affect Child and Family Outcomes? A Systematic Review of the Instability Hypothesis
Hadfield, K., Amos, M. A., Ungar, M. T., Gosselin, J., & H.Ganong, L. (2018) · Journal of Family Theory & Review · doi:10.1111/jftr.12243 · Cited by 120 · see citing works
Parent–Adolescent Closeness, Family Belonging, and Adolescent Well-Being Across Family Structures
King, V., Boyd, L. M., & Pragg, B. (2017) · Journal of Family Issues · doi:10.1177/0192513x17739048 · Cited by 116 · see citing works
“Most studies find that children living with two biological parents have higher levels of well-being, on average, than children in stepfamilies and single-parent households, in part because two-biological-parent families are usually better equipped to provide key resources (Amato, 2010; Carr & Springer, 2010).”
Background
Adolescent Precursors of Pathways From School to Work
Vuolo, M., Mortimer, J. T., & Staff, J. (2013) · Journal of Research on Adolescence · doi:10.1111/jora.12038 · Cited by 114 · see citing works
“Youth in two-parent families are similarly advantaged (Amato, 2010).”
Background
Women in very low quality marriages gain life satisfaction following divorce.
Bourassa, K. J., Sbarra, D. A., & Whisman, M. A. (2015) · Journal of Family Psychology · doi:10.1037/fam0000075 · Cited by 107 · see citing works
“Taken together, these results suggest that, although people who separate from their partner are at risk for a variety of negative outcomes (Amato, 2010), this effect does not hold for everyone, particularly women in the lowest quality marriages.”
The Effect of Children on Men’s and Women’s Chances of Re-partnering in a European Context
Ivanova, K., Kalmijn, M., & Uunk, W. J. G. (2013) · European Journal of Population / Revue européenne de Démographie · doi:10.1007/s10680-013-9294-5 · Cited by 104 · see citing works
“For example, though divorced men and women generally report lower adjustment than their married counterparts (for an overview, see Amato 2010), the presence of a new romantic partner has been shown to be positively correlated with adult well-being (e.g., Wang and Amato 2000).”
Background
Evidence‐based couple therapy: current status and future directions
Snyder, D., & Halford, W. (2012) · Journal of Family Therapy · doi:10.1111/j.1467-6427.2012.00599.x · Cited by 99 · see citing works
Communication Technology and Postdivorce Coparenting
H.Ganong, L., Coleman, M. J., Feistman, R. E., Jamison, T. B., & Markham, M. S. (2012) · Family Relations · doi:10.1111/j.1741-3729.2012.00706.x · Cited by 102 · see citing works
Gender and Socioeconomic Status Differences in First and Second Marriage Formation
Shafer, K. M., & James, S. L. (2013) · Journal of Marriage and the Family · doi:10.1111/jomf.12024 · Cited by 100 · see citing works
Perspectives on Extended Family and Fictive Kin in the Later Years
Allen, K. R., Blieszner, R., & Roberto, K. A. (2011) · Journal of Family Issues · doi:10.1177/0192513x11404335 · Cited by 101 · see citing works
“…life today, including but not limited to the changing nature of divorce and diversity in the character of stepfamily formation and arrangement (Amato, 2010), women’s increased labor force participation (Bianchi & Milkie, 2010), and the rise in the incidence of grandparents raising…”
Background
Self-declared Throwaway Accounts on Reddit
Ammari, T., Schoenebeck, S. Y., & Romero, D. M. (2019) · Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction · doi:10.1145/3359237 · Cited by 102 · see citing works
“Finally, while the stigma faced by divorcees has declined [2, 46], divorced parents still have to face social stigma and ambivalence about their status [63, 123].”
The association of family structure with health behavior, mental health, and perceived academic achievement among adolescents: a 2018 Korean nationally representative survey
Park, H., & Lee, K.-S. (2020) · BMC Public Health · doi:10.1186/s12889-020-08655-z · Cited by 97 · see citing works
Mind the “Happiness” Gap: The Relationship Between Cohabitation, Marriage, and Subjective Well-being in the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, and Norway
Perelli‐Harris, B., Hoherz, S., Lappegård, T., & Evans, A. (2019) · Demography · doi:10.1007/s13524-019-00792-4 · Cited by 99 · see citing works
EXPLAINING THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN INCARCERATION AND DIVORCE
Siennick, S. E., Stewart, E. A., & Staff, J. (2014) · Criminology · doi:10.1111/1745-9125.12040 · Cited by 99 · see citing works
“We also include other known correlates of marital problems and dissolution, namely, age at marriage, gender, and whether the couple lived together before marrying (Amato, 2010), and two other potentially relevant factors, problem gambling and prior domestic violence convictions.”
In Sickness and in Health? Physical Illness as a Risk Factor for Marital Dissolution in Later Life
Karraker, A., & Latham-Mintus, K. (2015) · Journal of Health and Social Behavior · doi:10.1177/0022146515596354 · Cited by 97 · see citing works
Patterns of psychological adaptation to divorce after a long-term marriage
Perrig‐Chiello, P., Hutchison, S., & Morselli, D. (2014) · Journal of Social and Personal Relationships · doi:10.1177/0265407514533769 · Cited by 99 · see citing works
“The severity and duration of the adaptation process depend on a variety of protective factors such as personal resources (Amato, 2010).”
BackgroundInfluential
Liminal Men: Incarceration and Relationship Dissolution
Turney, K. (2015) · Social Problems · doi:10.1093/socpro/spv015 · Cited by 103 · see citing works
“…in large part because of its negative consequences for adults, relationship dissolution is linked to a host of detrimental outcomes among offspring (Amato 2010), including behavioral problems (McLanahan, Tach, and Schneider 2013), reduced educational achievement and attainment (Kim 2011), and…”
Background
Autonomy in Relatedness: How Need Fulfillment Interacts in Close Relationships
Kluwer, E. S., Karremans, J. C., Riedijk, L., & Knee, C. R. (2020) · Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin · doi:10.1177/0146167219867964 · Cited by 92 · see citing works
Adolescents' Perceptions of Family Belonging in Stepfamilies
King, V., Boyd, L. M., & Thorsen, M. L. (2015) · Journal of Marriage and the Family · doi:10.1111/jomf.12181 · Cited by 92 · see citing works
“Although these studies do not specifically focus on adolescents in stepfamilies, these negative outcomes tend to be more prevalent in stepfamilies (Amato, 2010), and therefore an adolescent’s feelings of family belonging may be even more protective for those living in stepfamilies.”
Influential
Recession and Divorce in the United States, 2008–2011
Cohen, P. N. (2014) · Population Research and Policy Review · doi:10.1007/s11113-014-9323-z · Cited by 92 · see citing works
“Individual variables Sweeney and Phillips (2004), using data from 1995, predict divorce using measures of race, age at marriage, education, and premarital fertility history, which are commonly associated with divorce outcomes (Amato 2010).”
BackgroundMethod
Marital satisfaction and divorce in couples in stepfamilies
DeLongis, A., & Zwicker, A. (2016) · Current Opinion in Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.copsyc.2016.11.003 · Cited by 91 · see citing works
“However, there is reason to expect that parent-child relationships in stepfamilies may play an even more important role in marital outcomes as divorce rates are higher when children from a previous union are brought into a home [14].”
Background
Joint Physical Custody and Adolescents’ Life Satisfaction in 37 North American and European Countries
Steinbach, A., Augustijn, L., & Corkadi, G. (2020) · Family Process · doi:10.1111/famp.12536 · Cited by 91 · see citing works
When Growing Up Without a Parent Does Not Hurt: Parental Separation and the Compensatory Effect of Social Origin
Grätz, M. (2015) · European Sociological Review · doi:10.1093/esr/jcv057 · Cited by 91 · see citing works
Divorce and Health
Sbarra, D. A., Hasselmo, K., & Bourassa, K. J. (2015) · Current Directions in Psychological Science · doi:10.1177/0963721414559125 · Cited by 95 · see citing works
“The three studies reviewed above provide only a small picture of the many individual differences that predict risk for poor outcomes following divorce (see Amato, 2010; Mason & Sbarra, 2012).”
BackgroundInfluential
Marital and Cohabitation Dissolution and Parental Depressive Symptoms in Fragile Families
Dush, C. M. K. (2013) · Journal of Marriage and the Family · doi:10.1111/j.1741-3737.2012.01020.x · Cited by 89 · see citing works
“Cohabitation has grown dramatically (Fields & Casper, 2001), yet little research has compared the consequences of cohabitation dissolution to divorce (Amato, 2010; for exceptions see Avellar & Smock, 2005; Blekesaune, 2008).”
The development of personality across the lifespan
Donnellan, M. B., & Robins, R. W. (2012) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cbo9780511596544.015 · Cited by 88 · see citing works
Understanding Heterogeneity in the Effects of Parental Separation on Educational Attainment in Britain: Do Children from Lower Educational Backgrounds Have Less to Lose?
Bernardi, F., & Boertien, D. (2016) · European Sociological Review · doi:10.1093/esr/jcw036 · Cited by 89 · see citing works
“Parental separation can affect economic investments in children due to direct divorce costs, the loss of combined household scale advantages, and the redirection of resources towards new family members (Amato, 2010).”
Background
Time for Each Other: Work and Family Constraints Among Couples
Flood, S., & Genadek, K. R. (2015) · Journal of Marriage and the Family · doi:10.1111/jomf.12255 · Cited by 91 · see citing works
Taking Stock of Parent Education in the Family Courts: Envisioning a Public Health Approach
Salem, P., Sandler, I. N., & Wolchik, S. A. (2013) · Family Court Review · doi:10.1111/fcre.12014 · Cited by 90 · see citing works
“Amato (2010) points out that the doubling of risk experienced by children from divorced families is comparable to the increased risk of having a heart attack that is conferred by elevated cholesterol (i.e., 7% of those with high cholesterol will experience a heart attack as compared to 4% of those…”
Stepfamily Functioning and Closeness: Children's Views on Second Marriages and Stepfather Relationships
Jensen, T. M., & Shafer, K. (2013) · Social Work · doi:10.1093/sw/swt007 · Cited by 88 · see citing works
“In fact, the United States has the highest remarriage rate in the world—indicating the relative importance of marital relationships to most Americans (Amato, 2010; Smock, 2000; Sweeney, 2010; U.S. Census Bureau, 2000).”
Background
Protective factors of marital stability in long-term marriage globally: a systematic review
Karimi, R., Bakhtiyari, M., & Arani, A. M. (2019) · Epidemiology and Health · doi:10.4178/epih.e2019023 · Cited by 87 · see citing works
“Religious affiliation and attendance contribute to couples’ well-being, and support and foster marital relationships [51,52].”
Background
Temperament and brain networks of attention
Posner, M. I., & Rothbart, M. K. (2018) · Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rstb.2017.0254 · Cited by 87 · see citing works
What Narrows the Stepgap? Closeness Between Parents and Adult (Step)Children in Germany
Becker, O. A., Salzburger, V., Lois, N., & Nauck, B. (2013) · Journal of Marriage and the Family · doi:10.1111/jomf.12052 · Cited by 84 · see citing works
Single-parent households and children’s educational achievement: A state-level analysis
Amato, P. R., Patterson, S., & Beattie, B. (2015) · Social Science Research · doi:10.1016/j.ssresearch.2015.05.012 · Cited by 91 · see citing works
“Several good reasons exist for assuming that the number of parents in a household affects children’s academic achievement (for reviews, see Amato, 2010; Brown, 2010; McLanahan and Percheski, 2008).”
Self-citation
Family structure instability and mobility: The consequences for adolescents’ problem behavior
Fomby, P., & Sennott, C. A. (2012) · Social Science Research · doi:10.1016/j.ssresearch.2012.08.016 · Cited by 83 · see citing works
Women's Retirement Income in Germany and Britain
Fasang, A. E., Aisenbrey, S., & Schömann, K. (2012) · European Sociological Review · doi:10.1093/esr/jcs075 · Cited by 83 · see citing works
“Overall, research supports that divorce lowers women’s economic and subjective well-being across countries—at least in the short–term—but the size and duration of these effects varies (Stack and Eshleman, 1998; Amato, 2000; Diener et al., 2000; Uunk, 2004; Andreß et al., 2006; Amato, 2010; Kalmijn, 2010; Andreß and Br…”
Background
Same-Sex and Different-Sex Cohabiting Couple Relationship Stability
Manning, W. D., Brown, S. L., & Stykes, J. B. (2016) · Demography · doi:10.1007/s13524-016-0490-x · Cited by 82 · see citing works
“The relationship stability of marriage and cohabitation has been studied extensively among different-sex couples (Amato 2010; Manning and Cohen 2012; Teachman 2002).”
Do mother’s and father’s education condition the impact of parental divorce on child well-being?
Mandemakers, J. J., & Kalmijn, M. (2013) · Social Science Research · doi:10.1016/j.ssresearch.2013.12.003 · Cited by 82 · see citing works
“Amato and Gilbreth (1999) show in a meta-analysis that children of divorce have higher well-being if absent fathers pay more child support.”
BackgroundInfluential
The Association between Marital Status and Psychological Well-being: Variation across Negative and Positive Dimensions
Hsu, T.-L., & Barrett, A. E. (2020) · Journal of Family Issues · doi:10.1177/0192513x20910184 · Cited by 81 · see citing works
“Becoming divorced or widowed may worsen negative wellbeing (especially in the short-term) but enhance aspects of positive wellbeing, given the opportunities for personal growth that stressful life events can present (e.g., Amato, 2010; Updegraff & Taylor, 2000; Waite et al., 2009).”
Background
Personality and emotion
Reisenzein, R., & Weber, H. (2012) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cbo9780511596544.007 · Cited by 81 · see citing works
Marital Dissolution and Major Depression in Midlife
Sbarra, D. A., Emery, R. E., Beam, C. R., & Ocker, B. L. (2013) · Clinical Psychological Science · doi:10.1177/2167702613498727 · Cited by 81 · see citing works
“Although most adults manage the transition of divorce well and can be described as resilient (Amato, 2010; Hetherington & Kelly, 2002; Mancini, Bonanno, & Clark, 2011), a subset of people become stuck on trajectories of long-term stress and strain (Lorenz, Wickrama, Conger, & Elder, 2006; Lucas, 2005).”
Background
Marital quality, marital dissolution, and mortality risk during the later life course
Bulanda, J. R., Brown, J. S., & Yamashita, T. (2016) · Social Science & Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2016.07.025 · Cited by 81 · see citing works
Overnight Custody Arrangements, Attachment, and Adjustment Among Very Young Children
Tornello, S. L., Emery, R. E., Rowen, J., Potter, D. J., Ocker, B. L., & Xu, Y. (2013) · Journal of Marriage and the Family · doi:10.1111/jomf.12045 · Cited by 80 · see citing works
“…well-being of children who are not living with their two biological parents due to separation, divorce, or nonmarital/noncohabiting childbirth (Amato, 2010; Cherlin, 2009; Emery, 1999; McLanahan & Sandefur, 1994), yet very little research has examined the living arrangements and well-being of…”
Background
Mental Illness and the Criminal Justice System
Hiday, V. A., & Burns, P. J. (2009) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cbo9780511984945.029 · Cited by 77 · see citing works
Depressive Symptoms Following Later-life Marital Dissolution and Subsequent Repartnering
Lin, I., Brown, S. L., Wright, M. R., & Hammersmith, A. M. (2019) · Journal of Health and Social Behavior · doi:10.1177/0022146519839683 · Cited by 77 · see citing works
“We explore gender differences as marital dissolution often has different consequences for women and men (Amato 2010; Umberson et al. 2013) and the unbalanced sex ratio at older ages yields unique repartnering environments for women and men (Schimmele and Wu 2016).”
Background
Supporting Healthy Relationships in Low-Income, Violent Couples: Reducing Conflict and Strengthening Relationship Skills and Satisfaction
Bradley, R. P. C., Friend, D. J., & Gottman, J. M. (2011) · Journal of Couple & Relationship Therapy · doi:10.1080/15332691.2011.562808 · Cited by 77 · see citing works
Why Does Parental Divorce Lower Children’s Educational Attainment? A Causal Mediation Analysis
Brand, J. E., Moore, R., Song, X., & Xie, Y. (2019) · Sociological Science · doi:10.15195/v6.a11 · Cited by 83 · see citing works
The Real Oscar Curse: The Negative Consequences of Positive Status Shifts
Jensen, M. C., & Kim, H. (2015) · Organization Science · doi:10.1287/orsc.2014.0951 · Cited by 75 · see citing works
“Not surprisingly, domestic violence and frequent conflicts are, together with infidelity, the most important reasons for divorce (Amato, 2010).”
Psychological Approaches to Mental Illness
Peterson, C. (2009) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cbo9780511984945.008 · Cited by 76 · see citing works
Postdivorce Coparenting Typologies and Children's Adjustment
Beckmeyer, J. J., Coleman, M. J., & H.Ganong, L. (2014) · Family Relations · doi:10.1111/fare.12086 · Cited by 75 · see citing works
“Most children demonstrate resiliency; fall into normal ranges for psychological and cognitive functioning; and grow up to be healthy, functioning adults (Ahrons, 2007; Amato, 2010; Emery, 1999).”
Background
Divorced and separated parents during the COVID‐19 pandemic
Goldberg, A. E., Allen, K. R., & Smith, J. Z. (2021) · Family Process · doi:10.1111/famp.12693 · Cited by 74 · see citing works
“Divorce is a major life stressor that may cause at least short-term mental distress, in part due to the emotional and financial burdens associated with divorce (Amato, 2010; Hald et al., 2020).”
The Psychological Well-being of East Asian Youth
Yi, C.-C. (2012) · Quality of life in Asia · doi:10.1007/978-94-007-4081-5 · Cited by 75 · see citing works
Sociological Perspectives on Parenting Stress: How Social Structure and Culture Shape Parental Strain and the Well-Being of Parents and Children
Nomaguchi, K. M., & Milkie, M. A. (2017) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-55376-4_3 · Cited by 73 · see citing works
Religious service attendance, divorce, and remarriage among U.S. nurses in mid and late life
Li, S., Kubzansky, L. D., & VanderWeele, T. J. (2018) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0207778 · Cited by 77 · see citing works
Health and Well-Being of Adolescents in Different Family Structures in Germany and the Importance of Family Climate
Herke, M., Knöchelmann, A., & Richter, M. (2020) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph17186470 · Cited by 78 · see citing works
Women's Education, Marital Violence, and Divorce: A Social Exchange Perspective
Kreager, D. A., Felson, R. B., Warner, C., & Wenger, M. R. (2013) · Journal of Marriage and the Family · doi:10.1111/jomf.12018 · Cited by 73 · see citing works
“Summarizing this literature, Amato (2010) suggested that the mixed evidence results from women’s income having offsetting effects on marital stability: decreasing stability by upsetting the traditional division of household labor and increasing stability by reducing economic hardship.”
BackgroundMethodInfluential
Health effects of single motherhood on children in sub-Saharan Africa: a cross-sectional study
Ntoimo, L. F. C., & Odimegwu, C. O. (2014) · BMC Public Health · doi:10.1186/1471-2458-14-1145 · Cited by 73 · see citing works
“The relative advantage of children in two-parent families in well-being is associated more with stable unions, especially of two biological parents [46,47].”
Background
The Graying of Divorce: A Half Century of Change
Brown, S. L., & Lin, I. (2022) · The Journals of Gerontology Series B · doi:10.1093/geronb/gbac057 · Cited by 72 · see citing works
Stigma and Divorce: A Relevant Lens for Emerging and Young Adult Women?
Konstam, V., Karwin, S., Curran, T., Lyons, M., & Celen‐Demirtas, S. (2016) · Journal of Divorce & Remarriage · doi:10.1080/10502556.2016.1150149 · Cited by 71 · see citing works
“Marriage is a profound decision with significant implications for future development (Amato, 2010; Amato et al., 2008; Gerstel, 1987; Shulman & Connolly, 2013; Steiner, Suarez, Sells, & Wykes, 2011).”
Background
A model of resilience and marital satisfaction
Bradley, J. M., & Hojjat, M. (2016) · The Journal of Social Psychology · doi:10.1080/00224545.2016.1254592 · Cited by 70 · see citing works
“What factors maintain long-lasting marriages through ups and downs? The rate of divorce in the United States is estimated to be around 50% (Amato, 2010), and the negative consequences of divorce for individuals and their families are well documented (Burt, Barnes, McGue, & Iacono, 2008).”
Background

Authors: Amato, P. R.
Affiliations: Pennsylvania State University (US)
Corresponding author: Amato, Paul R.
Venue: Journal of Marriage and Family
Publisher: Wiley
Published: 2010-06
Volume: 72
Issue: 3
Pages: 650-666
ISSN: 0022-2445 (ISSN-L)
1741-3737
DOI: 10.1111/j.1741-3737.2010.00723.x
OpenAlex: W2052518709
Cited by: 1,918
References: 124
Citations by year: 2026: 103 · 2025: 103 · 2024: 107 · 2023: 123 · 2022: 106 · 2021: 172 · 2020: 195 · 2019: 120 · 2018: 120 · 2017: 167 · 2016: 107 · 2015: 124 · 2014: 123 · 2013: 108 · 2012: 85
FWCI: 214.48
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Licence: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor (vor, 17 d)
Locations: Journal of Marriage and the Family (publishedVersion)
Topics: Social Sciences › Demography › Family Dynamics and Relationships
Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Marriage and Family Dynamics
Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Attachment and Relationship Dynamics
Keywords: divorce, children of divorce, family transitions, genetically informed designs, unobserved heterogeneity, longitudinal study

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Research on Divorce: Continuing Trends and New Developments

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