Tested Lewis and Spanier's theory of marital quality and marital stability using a sample of 131 married and 166 divorced social survey respondents. Examined the relationship between the quality and stability of their marriages and assessed the influence of alternative attractions and external pressures to remain married. (JAC)

Examined relief and distress as responses to the termination of marriage in a study of 205 individuals soon after their final separation. Results showed that relief is a frequent response to marital separation. Group differences in response were associated with the rewards and costs of ending a marriage. (JAC)

Tested the utility of an exchange model for predicting divorce or withdrawal of divorce petitions, using court records and interviews of men and women who were divorced or subsequently withdrew their divorce petitions. Discriminant function analyses indicated that an exchange model can predict divorce versus petition withdrawal. (JAC)

Tested the usefulness of Lewis's and Spanier's theory of marital quality and marital stability for the prediction of divorce adjustment, in a study of 216 recently divorced persons. The quality of the marriage, external pressure to remain married, and level of alternative attractions were all useful predictors. (JAC)

Marriages of respondents that ended in divorce were not as good as marriages of other couples they had known nor did the marriage meet expectations held prior to entering into the relationship. The most frequent problem was unfaithfulness. (Author)