About Problem Behaviors

Alcoholism, extramarital affairs, and abuse are three of the most highly cited reasons for divorce. The following measure attempted to get an idea of the prevalence of such "problem behaviors" during the year before the couple's separation.

Finding Problem Behavior Data

There are no summed variables for problem behaviors. Answers to specific items can be found in the "Problem Behaviors" section of the Divorced Data Packet.

Interpreting Problem Behavior Data

Most of the reports in this measure should be taken with a grain of salt. In general, people are extremely reluctant to admit participation in problem behaviors. However, the measure can give you a general idea of possible problem areas in the last year of marriage. Try to fit your partners' responses on this measure to their divorced accounts and reports of reasons they divorced.

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