Family Psychology

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Psychology has long been concerned with the family and its influence in the lives of individuals. What happens in families would appear to be of importance to those who work within the field of psychology. This essay will give an overview of divorce as one of the major factors that can impact a family. It is believed that this information can be of use to those who are interested in the well being of families. “Currently, within the United States, there are now about a million divorces a year with nearly 50% of marriages ending in divorce” (Markman, Stanley, & Blumberg, 1994). A divorce represents a problem of immense concern just on the basis of the numbers of people who are influenced by its occurrence. For the purposes of this paper, in order to increase further understanding about divorce, a review of factors that have found to be associated with divorce will be provided. This will be followed by a discussion on the divorce process in which some of the issues and problems associated with divorce will be addressed.
On the basis of the current information concerning the occurrence of divorce in the U.S., a number of factors have been identified as associated with divorce. Information suggests that age at the time of marriage can influence whether marriage results in divorce. “Younger people who are marrying for the first time face roughly a 40-50% chance of divorcing in their lifetime under current trends” (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1994). “Also, of first marriages that end in divorce, most divorces occur within the first 3 to 5 years of the marriage with the median length of marriage before divorce lasting approximately 3.4 years” (U.S. Bureau of Census, 1992). Information also suggests that adults and children are at increa...

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...gh this process. Without question, divorce is an area of the life experiences of individuals and families that continue to need further attention and efforts from the field of psychology in developing strategies for reducing harmful effects.

Works Cited

Cherlin, A. J., & Furstenberg, F. F., Jr. (1994). Step families in the United States: A reconsideration. Annual Review of Sociology, 20, 359-381.

Gottman, J. (1994). Why marriages succeed or fail. New York.

Markman, H.J., Stanley, S.M., & Blumberg, S.L. (1994). Fighting for Your Marriage: Positive Steps For A Loving and Lasting Relationship. San Francisco.

Sterk, G.J. (1997). Divorce Step-By-Step. NY: Barron's Educational Series, Inc.

U. S. Bureau of the Census (1992). Marriage, divorce, and remarriage in the 1990's (Current Population Reports, P23-180). Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office.

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