RELATIONSHIP TERMINATION AND THE FISHER DIVORCE ADJUSTMENT SCALE - A COMPARATIVE-STUDY

The purpose of the present study was to examine the differences and si milarities in relationship-termination adjustment between divorced and non-marital populations. The two populations have been assumed to be similar, but this assumption has not been investigated formally The pr esent sample consisted of 90 volunteers from either a divorce support group or the student population at a midwestern university who complet ed a modified version of the Fisher Divorce Adjustment Scale (FDAS). A MANOVA found a significant difference in the FDAS scores based upon t he type of relationship (divorced or ended long-term romantic). Follow -up ANOVAS indicated that the primary difference between the two group s was that the divorced group was more disentangled from the former re lationship than the non-marital group. No significant sex differences and no significant relationship x sex interactions were found, which c ontradicts previous research. Although originally designed for divorce d populations, the FDAS appears applicable to separated, non-marital p opulations.