Blackwell Reference Online

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Approximately 50 percent of first-time marriages, and an even higher percentage of remarriages, end in separation or divorce. Because researchers and theorists are concerned with the prevalence of relational termination, they have devoted a great deal of effort to understanding the antecedents, processes, and consequences associated with divorce and the dissolution of romantic relationships. A number of the characteristics that people bring to marriage are associated with the likelihood that they will divorce. For instance, socio-demographic variables such as age and income predict the early termination of marriages. The divorce rate is particularly high for those who marry in their teens as it is for people in lower income groups, those with low-status occupations, and those with less education ( Kitson et al. 1985 ). Relatively stable personality variables, such as neuroticism, also have been linked to the dissolution of marriage ( Kelly & Conley 1987 ). In addition to the characteristics that people bring to their romantic relationships, the way partners interact with each other predicts relational dissolution ( Vangelisti 2002 ; →  Marital Communication ). Individuals who are dissatisfied with their relationship display more negative affect and less positive affect when communicating with their partner than do those who are satisfied, and the expression of negative affect ... log in or subscribe to read full text