YOUNG-ADULTS MARITAL AND FAMILY ATTITUDES - THE ROLE OF RECENT PARENTAL DIVORCE, AND FAMILY AND PARENTAL CONFLICT

Only a few small studies have examined the effects of recent parental divorce on young adults, including how it influences attitudes toward marriage and divorce. Results from studies using parental marital stat us as a predictor of young adults' attitudes have been inconsistent. O ther studies have suggested that parental and family conflict would be stronger predictors of young adults' marital and family attitudes. Th e main hypothesis of this study was that parental and family conflict would be stronger predictors of young adults' attitudes than would par ental marital status. Randomly sampled, never-married, White young adu lts (ages 17-23) formed two groups: those with recently divorced paren ts (n = 231) and those with married parents (n = 213). All responded t o structured telephone interviews. While level of family conflict did not predict any of the five attitudes measured, level of parental disa greement predicted four of the five attitudes. Parental marital status predicted two of the attitudes.