Abstract

Divorce brings unprecedented changes. The prevalence of divorce today constitutes a need to thoroughly study the well-being of divorced peoples. This study used a multidimensional definition of well-being to study divorced peoples and other marital statuses. Physical, social, psychological, and socioeconomic well-being were used. This study hypothesized that the married and remarried have higher well-being than the never married who in turn have higher well-being than the divorced or separated. It was also hypothesized that some are pre-disposed to divorce. ANCOVA analysis was used to test these hypotheses in a sample of approximately 9,863 respondents from the NSFH study. Support was found for the hypothesis that the never married have higher well-being than the divorced or separated. This was true in all four aspect analyses. No support was found for the hypothesis that some are pre-disposed to divorce. Further, support was found for married and remarried having higher well-being than the divorced or separated and never married, but only in regards to psychological and socioeconomic well-being. Partial support was found for physical well-being. The divorced or separated had the lowest or close to lowest adjusted well-being mean of all marital statuses except in the social well-being analysis. Marital status and especially divorce does affect well-being.

Degree

MS

College and Department

Family, Home, and Social Sciences; Sociology

Rights

http://lib.byu.edu/about/copyright/

Date Submitted

2008-12-01

Document Type

Thesis

Handle

http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/etd2698

Keywords

divorce, well-being, family, social well-being, psychological well-being, socioeconomic well-being, physical well-being, marital status

Language

English

Included in

Sociology Commons

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