Home Is Where They Have to Let You In

Abstract

Normative expectations regarding changes in the physical custody of children following divorce were examined in this study. Two hundred twenty-two women and 88 men whose names were drawn randomly responded to a vignette about a divorced couple and their 16-year-old son. In response to a variety of scenarious, participants indicated whether the child should be allowed to change residence. Forced-choice responses, analyzed using multinomial logistic regression, yielded no significant main or interaction effects. Several general themes, however, were evident in the open-ended responses: (a) The wishes of the child should prevail in postdivorce physical custody changes; (b) mothers have a more unconditional obligation to their children than fathers; (c) men's parenting skills and abilities are somewhat suspect; and (d) court-appointed custody arrangements have little influence on postdivorce physical custody changes. Considering that informal modifications in physical custody are common, it is suggested that future research move beyond court-ordered settlements to understand better the effects of divorce on children.

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