CULTURAL AND ACCULTURATION DIFFERENCES REGARDING DISTRESS SURROUNDING PARENTAL DIVORCE

Abstract

This study examines the long-term subclinical effects of divorce on Hispanic and non-Hispanic White young adults of various levels of acculturation to the majority culture in the United States and their relationships with each of their parents. University students from married and divorced families completed surveys that included the General Ethnicity Questionnaire (GEQ), the Painful Feelings About Divorce scale (PFAD), and free-response questions about their relationships with and attitudes towards their mother and father. Multivariate and univariate ANOVA’s were run to determine if there was a significant difference between Hispanic and non-Hispanic White young adults on subclinical distress after divorce and attitudes towards parental relationships. Multiple and linear regressions were run to determine if acculturation level was a predictor for subclinical distress or positive/negative affect words used in the free-response questions. One significant effect was found of acculturation levels on positive affect words used when describing parental relationships’ participants who were more acculturated to United States culture used more positive affect words when describing their parental relationships. Attributes of collectivist cultures are used to explain these results.