Premium
Coparental Identity and Mothers’ Cooperation in Coparental Relationships *
Author(s) -
Markham Melinda S.,
Gag Lawrence H.,
Coleman Marilyn
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
family relations
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1741-3729
pISSN - 0197-6664
DOI - 10.1111/j.1741-3729.2007.00466.x
Subject(s) - coparenting , psychology , identity (music) , perception , structural equation modeling , social identity theory , developmental psychology , social psychology , statistics , physics , mathematics , neuroscience , acoustics , social group
The purpose of this study was to investigate the relations between divorced mothers’ ( N = 196) coparental role identity and their perceptions of how cooperatively they coparent. Data were gathered by questionnaires mailed to mothers who had participated in a court‐mandated divorce education program. Using structural equation modeling, it was determined that mothers’ perceptions of others’ expectations for them to coparent and their own expectations, as well as their commitment to a coparental identity, were positively related to their perceived level of coparenting cooperation. Parent educators and therapists working with mothers should focus on the value of coparenting for mothers and their children; social pressure and legal requirements are less effective motivators.