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Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, Vol. 24, No. 5, 707-728 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/0265407507081456

The role of stress in divorce: A three-nation retrospective study

Guy Bodenmann

University of Fribourg, joseguy.bodenmann{at}unifr.ch

Linda Charvoz

University of Fribourg

Thomas N. Bradbury

University of California, Los Angeles

Anna Bertoni

Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore di Milano

Raffaella Iafrate

Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore di Milano

Christina Giuliani

Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore di Milano

Rainer Banse

University of Bonn

Jenny Behling

University of Bonn

Drawing upon earlier models of stress and divorce, this retrospective study investigates how divorced individuals appraise the role of stress in their divorce. Data from divorced individuals (N = 662) from Germany, Italy, and Switzerland suggest that low commitment and deficits in interpersonal competencies (communication, problem solving, coping) are more likely than stress to be perceived as reasons for divorce. However, when considering everyday stresses, participants reported trivial daily events to be one of the main reasons contributing to their decision to divorce. Although general stress level did not influence individuals' decision to divorce, most participants considered the accumulation of everyday stresses as a central trigger for divorce. Future research should investigate the process of divorce, particularly in relation to commitment and interpersonal competencies.

Key Words: alienation • divorce • everyday interaction • marriage • stress


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