Attitudinal variables. The attitudinal variables measured before divorce
did not reveal many consistent associations. Religiosity was positively
associated with reporting infidelity as a cause of divorce. This finding,
however, does not necessarily mean that religious individuals are
more likely to have affairs, only that it takes a relatively serious violation
of marital trust to trigger a divorce among religious couples. This interpretation
is consistent with the finding that religiosity is negatively related to
incompatibility, which may not be a sufficient justification for divorce
among those who see marriage as a sacred institution. Holding conservative
attitudes toward divorce was positively linked with reports of abuse,
although, as previously noted, this association may exist because it requires
a relatively serious problem to end a marriage among individuals
who do not support divorce in general. This interpretation is not consistent,
however, with the finding that conservative individuals were more
likely to cite communication problems as a cause of divorce. The last attitudinal
variable, predivorce marital happiness, was negatively related to
abuse, indicating that those who were especially unhappy with their marriages
prior to divorce tended to be in abusive relationships.