The Divorce Process and Child Adaptation Trajectory Typology (DPCATT) Model: The Shaping Role of Predivorce and Postdivorce Interparental Conflict

Abstract

Divorce has been conceptualized as a process. Research has extensively demonstrated that it is pre/postdivorce family environment factors that primarily account for the variability in children's adaptation over parental divorce process rather than the legal divorce per se. Amongst various factors, interparental conflict has been consistently identified as a prominent one. Surprisingly, a single source is still lacking that comprehensively synthesizes the extant findings. This review fills this gap by integrating the numerous findings across studies into a more coherent Divorce Process and Child Adaptation Trajectory Typology (DPCATT) Model to illustrate that pre/postdivorce interparental conflict plays crucial roles in shaping child adaptation trajectories across parental divorce process. This review also summarizes the mechanisms (e.g., child cognitive and emotional processes, coparenting, parent-child relations) via which pre/postdivorce interparental conflict determines these trajectories and the factors (e.g., child gender and age, child coping, grandparental support) that interact with pre/postdivorce interparental conflict to further complicate these trajectories. In addition, echoing the call of moving beyond the monolithic conceptualization of pre/postdivorce interparental conflict, we also review studies on the differential implications of different aspects (e.g., frequency versus intensity) and types (e.g., overt versus covert) of interparental conflict for child adjustment. Last, limitations of prior studies and avenues for future research are discussed. The proposed framework may serve as a common knowledge base for researchers to compare/interpret results, detect cutting edges of the fields, and design new studies. The specificity, complexity, nuance, and diversity inherent within our proposed model await to be more fully revealed.

Parents’ loneliness in sole and joint physical custody families

“…Given the very scarce research on the relationship between physical custody arrangements and parents’ social well-being (Botterman et al, 2015), more research is needed to shed light on this topic and the mechanisms that underly the association – particularly in light of the well-documented consequences that separation and divorce can have for parents’ well-being and the potential implications for the quality of parenting, children’s adjustment to family dissolution, and the quality of the inter-parental relationship (see, e.g., Cao et al, 2022). Nevertheless, this study has added considerably to the body of literature by revealing a significant relationship between physical custody arrangements and parents’ feelings of loneliness and by showing that differentiating between SPC, asymmetric JPC, and symmetric JPC can be useful when investigating differences between parents living in different types of post-separation families.…”

Divorce: Counseling Guidance for Students Affected in Parents Divorce

“…Apparently, things couldn't be resolved properly so divorce was the last resort for them. There are five stages of difficulty and complexity of adjustment after a divorce: (1) Denying that there was a divorce; (2) Anger arises where each individual does not want to get involved with each other; (3) By considering their children, they try not to divorce; (4) They get mentally depressed when they know the overall impact of divorce on the family; and (5) Finally they agreed to divorce (Cao et al, 2022).…”

Parental Divorce Process and Post-Divorce Parental Behaviors and Strategies: Examining Emerging Adult Children’s Attachment-Related Anxiety and Avoidance

“…Despite coparental interactions might sometimes be positive, these interactions in divorced families might also be negative or antagonistic in nature (i.e., high levels of conflict or/and unhealthy bonds with the child). In fact, even though parental divorce may be perceived as a relief from an adverse family context (e.g., high levels of interparental conflict) that prompts positive consequences [ 32 ], high levels of post-divorce interparental conflict have consistently been identified as a risk post-divorce family experience that accounts for variability in children’s maladjustment [ 33 ]. Indeed, in 20–25% of divorce cases, parents display highly conflicted coparental behaviors [ 34 ], which have been characterized by poor communication, little cooperation, mistrust, and disagreements in decision making.…”

“…Indeed, in 20–25% of divorce cases, parents display highly conflicted coparental behaviors [ 34 ], which have been characterized by poor communication, little cooperation, mistrust, and disagreements in decision making. In this regard, there is extensive literature confirming its negative effect on children’s adjustment (for a review, see [ 33 ]). Post-divorce interparental conflict might be expressed through direct interactions, such as verbal and physical disputes, or indirectly, such as badmouthing the other parent to the child.…”

“…Post-divorce interparental conflict might be expressed through direct interactions, such as verbal and physical disputes, or indirectly, such as badmouthing the other parent to the child. This situation might cause negative outcomes in children by making them feel caught between both parents [ 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 ]. For example, it is quite frequent to put children in middle of the conflict by badmouthing the other parent to the child or by sending messages to the other parent through the child [ 28 , 37 ].…”