WORK OR MARRIAGE - COMPETENCE IN CUSTODIAL MOTHERS IN THE STABILIZATION PHASE OF THE DIVORCE PROCESS

Sense of competence, time perspective, and state-anxiety of custodial mothers in the ''stabilization phase'' of the divorce process were exa mined. These mothers had a more integrative general and parental sense of competence as well as lower levels of state-anxiety as compared to mothers located in the earlier phases of divorce, as predicted by a d evelopment model of divorce. Mothers in this phase who denied and over rated parental competence, however, had children who displayed poorer adjustment. While mothers had an integrative sense of competence on se x-stereotyped roles considered appropriate, such as housekeeper, they had a less integrative sense of competence on out-of-role tasks like p rovider, with domestic and occupational roles found to be incompatible . Similarly, mothers who increased their employment level postdivorce valued remarriage less. In contrast to the divorce model presented, mo thers' time perspective was found to be discontinuous, the past being rated significantly more negatively than the present and future. Divor ced mothers also displayed high levels of state-anger which correlated negatively with their ratings of the past, these ratings being relate d to poor adjustment in children. Treatment and research implications were discussed.