In order to understand better the experience of becoming a lone parent after marital breakdown a taxonomy of positive as well as negative appraisals and possible coping strategies was constructed. Experiential structures elicited through multidimensional scaling were used to form the basis of the Lone Parenthood Scales. The Scales, with demonstrated reliabilities and construct validity, were then administered to a sample of lone parents who were found to experience concern over their children's limited family life but relief at their separation and hope of becoming closer to their children. They saw themselves as coping with problems by direct, positive action. Further uses for the Scales were discussed.
The utility of a cognitive interactionist approach to crisis, specifically that of becoming a lone parent through marital breakdown, was examined. The Lone Parenthood Scales, which provided information about positive and negative appraisals of the event and possible coping strategies, were administered to 101 members of Parents Without Partners. MANCOVA established two separate and systematic relationships between these multiple independent and dependent variables. One pattern of experience which emerged was of adaptive adjustment : positive appraisals of mobilization of personal resources, increased self-esteem and better relationships with the children were associated with coping by resignation to the situation and accepting help from others. The other was of passive self-preoccupation : negative appraisals of more emotional conflict and increased pressure from others were associated with no particular coping strategies but with renunciation of an active, positive approach to problems. Positive appraisals were found to be different for men and women, but the perceived instrumentality of the decision to separate proved to be relevant for negative appraisals.
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