Spatial and temporal arrangements, parental authority, and young adults' postdivorce experiences

This research examines how the structure of children's time and space impacts parent-child relationship dynamics postdivorce. Our central research question is whether parent-child relationship quality and degree of perceived parental authority are associated with the amount of time spent with a parent and the type and amount of personalized space a child has at parents' homes after a divorce. We analyze the reports of 22 adolescents surveyed and interviewed in the northwestern United States in 2007. Most notably, the quality of personalized space for children, regardless of the amount of private space available, was significantly and positively related to parent-child relationship quality. Amount of time spent with a parent was also significantly and positively associated with parent-child relationship quality. Level of parental authority was partially positively associated with both quality of personalized space and amount of time spent with a parent. Our results confirm that these factors do indeed play a significant role in children's lives postdivorce and deserve more attention by families undergoing divorce and by researchers investigating the divorce experience for children and adolescents.