Adjustment in Remarriage: Communication, Cohesion, Marital and Parental Roles

The purpose of this study was to investigate and develop a model for understanding adjustment in remarriage where the wives had custody of dependent children 12 years old or younger from a previous marriage and the husbands were stepfathers. Certain predictors of marital adjustment in remarriage were made from the review of literature. These predictors were: (1) attachment to former spouse through loving or liking feelings; (2) relationship with friends and relatives; (3) the former spouse parental role; (4) marital communication; (5) family cohesion; (6) marital roles; and (7) parental roles. The casual model presented in this study was supported by significant Beta values for three of the eight hypothesis. Specifically, relationship with friends and relatives, family cohesion, and liking attachment with the former spouse were significantly related to adjustment in remarriage.