Abstract
This study examined the links between parental divorce, quality of maternal parenting, spousal relationships and middle adolescent
romantic competence in 80 mother-adolescent daughter pairs (40 divorced). Mothers were asked to describe their attitudes and
behaviors with regard to their daughters’ romantic behavior. In addition, mothers were interviewed about their own romantic
experiences when they were at the age of their daughters. Adolescent girls (mean age = 16.98 years; range 16–18) were administered
a comprehensive interview about romantic competence. Findings indicated that adolescent girls from divorced families showed
lower levels of romantic competence, which were expressed in their behavior, attitudes toward relationships and skill in handling
those relationships. Divorce was found to have had an adverse effect on girls’ romantic competence, whereas continued adaptive
parenting and spousal relationships alleviated the effect of divorce. Mothers’ coherent representation of their own adolescent
romantic experiences also alleviated the effect of divorce on daughters’ romantic behavior. Results show the important role
of family relationships in fostering romantic competence among adolescent girls.
romantic competence in 80 mother-adolescent daughter pairs (40 divorced). Mothers were asked to describe their attitudes and
behaviors with regard to their daughters’ romantic behavior. In addition, mothers were interviewed about their own romantic
experiences when they were at the age of their daughters. Adolescent girls (mean age = 16.98 years; range 16–18) were administered
a comprehensive interview about romantic competence. Findings indicated that adolescent girls from divorced families showed
lower levels of romantic competence, which were expressed in their behavior, attitudes toward relationships and skill in handling
those relationships. Divorce was found to have had an adverse effect on girls’ romantic competence, whereas continued adaptive
parenting and spousal relationships alleviated the effect of divorce. Mothers’ coherent representation of their own adolescent
romantic experiences also alleviated the effect of divorce on daughters’ romantic behavior. Results show the important role
of family relationships in fostering romantic competence among adolescent girls.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Category Empirical Research
- Pages 1-14
- DOI 10.1007/s10964-012-9748-9
- Authors
- Shmuel Shulman, Department of Psychology, Bar Ilan University, 52900 Ramat Gan, Israel
- Aynat Zlotnik, Department of Psychology, Bar Ilan University, 52900 Ramat Gan, Israel
- Lital Shachar-Shapira, Kay Teachers’ College, Beer Sheva, Israel
- Jennifer Connolly, Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Yvonne Bohr, LaMarsh Centre for Child and Youth Research, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Journal Journal of Youth and Adolescence
- Online ISSN 1573-6601
- Print ISSN 0047-2891