Several studies suggest that SES is correlated with people’s reasons
for divorce. Kitson (1992) found that high-SES individuals, following
divorce, were more likely to complain about lack of communication,
changes in interests or values, incompatibility, and their ex-spouses’ selfcenteredness.
In contrast, low-SES individuals were more likely to complain
about physical abuse, going out with the boys/girls, neglect of
household duties, gambling, criminal activities, financial problems, and
employment problems. Similarly, Levinger (1966) found that low-SES divorced
individuals complained about financial problems, physical abuse,
and drinking, whereas high-SES divorced individuals complained about
lack of love and excessive demands from their spouses. Goode (1956)
found that high status divorcees tended to report personality problems and
conflict over values as reasons for divorce, whereas low status divorcees
tended to report lack of economic support from their former husbands.
These results suggest that as SES increases, individuals are less likely to
report instrumental reasons and more likely to report expressive and relationship-
centered reasons.