児童期の子どもをもつ夫婦の結婚コミットメント

―子の存在は離婚を思い止まらせるか―

抄録

　　Forms of marital commitment in couples with children were investigated. Whether having children functions as a deterrent to divorce was also examined. Study participants were individuals with a spouse and elementary school-aged children (N=746). Participants were asked about marital commitment, the marital relationship, and involvement in the family. Results indicated that personal commitment, resigned and instrumental commitment, and normative commitment were accompanied by a commitment to children, and this trend was the same as that found in middle-aged and elderly couples. During child-rearing, personal commitment was highly correlated with one’s relationship with one's spouse, which included love, and the existence or lack of personal commitment influenced a couple's intention to divorce. Commitment to children and the intention to divorce were not correlated in men while they were correlated in women. Having children deterred couples from divorcing to some extent, but having children did not stop couples from divorcing. One's relationship with one's spouse is crucial during child-rearing.