This is a qualitative research study adopting a naturalistic paradigm
in exploring the influence of parental divorce on children's subsequen
t heterosexual relationship. Numerous studies have been conducted to v
erify the nature and extent of this influence though most of them adhe
re to the positivist-empirical tradition. However, the influence of pa
rental divorce on children's subsequent heterosexual relationships is
inherently an extremely complex human interactive process which is ver
y difficult, if not impossible, to be understood through a positivist
tradition which focuses more on verification rather than understanding
. Gathered through a naturalistic paradigm, the data of this study rev
eal the complexity of the process involved. ''A trajectory of parental
influence on children's heterosexual relationships'' is proposed. The
understanding of this process sheds light on the long-term effect of
parental divorce on children regarding their adult heterosexual relati
onships. As such, this study bears significant implications for marita
l therapy to adult children of divorce.