Exposure to a given stressor may enhance future resistance to that specific
event as well as to stressful events more generally. One mechanism may be
that prior exposure decreases dysfunctional beliefs about the specific even
t or to events in general (i.e., general dysfunctional attitudes). The rese
arch described here examined whether exposure to divorce was related to few
er divorce-specific and general dysfunctional attitudes. Divorced participa
nts reported fewer divorce-specific dysfunctional attitudes than did happil
y married participants or married participants considering divorce. Similar
ly, adult children of divorced parents had fewer divorce-specific dysfuncti
onal attitudes than did adult children of happily married parents. A differ
ent pattern was observed for general dysfunctional attitudes.