TRAJECTORY OF INFLUENCE OF PARENTAL DIVORCE ON CHILDRENS HETEROSEXUAL RELATIONSHIPS

This is a qualitative research study adopting a naturalistic paradigm in exploring the influence of parental divorce on children's subsequent heterosexual relationship. Numerous studies have been conducted to verify the nature and extent of this influence though most of them adhere to the positivist-empirical tradition. However, the influence of parental divorce on children's subsequent heterosexual relationships is inherently an extremely complex human interactive process which is very difficult, if not impossible, to be understood through a positivist tradition which focuses more on verification rather than understanding. Gathered through a naturalistic paradigm, the data of this study reveal the complexity of the process involved. ''A trajectory of parental influence on children's heterosexual relationships'' is proposed. The understanding of this process sheds light on the long-term effect of parental divorce on children regarding their adult heterosexual relationships. As such, this study bears significant implications for marital therapy to adult children of divorce.