Day-to-day changes and longer-term adjustments to divorce ideation: Marital commitment uncertainty processes over time

Objective: The aim of this study is to use in-depth, qualitative interviews and longitudinal analysis to explore fluctuations in divorce ideation over time with 30 participants who had thoughts about divorce in the previous 6 months. Background: Scholarship on marital ambivalence and divorce ideation suggests the importance of better understanding the dialectical tensions involved in navigating the many areas of life affected by marital commitment uncertainty. To model complex relational processes of change over time, researchers need to move beyond contextualized snapshots of relationship outcomes to a more continuous mapping of relationship processes, including changes in emotions, beliefs, and behaviors regarding the future of their marital relationship. Methods: We completed in-depth interviews with participants who had recently been thinking about divorce at two times approximately 8 to 10 months apart. Our team used qualitative thematic analysis to elucidate emergent themes and processes. Results: We found complex and dynamic patterns of leaning-in, leaning-out, and holding-on emotions, attitudes, and behaviors that suggest theoretical models that may better capture the dynamic process of how commitment uncertainty influences the ways in which married partners think about the future of their marriage. Conclusion: This research can help improve how we theoretically model commitment uncertainty processes embedded in divorce ideation within the complex processes of day-to-day and longer term relational changes over time. Implications: Family practitioners and the couples they serve can benefit from expanded conceptualizations of marital commitment outcomes that also include the processes of marital commitment as a way to normalize the ebbs and flows of relationships.