Mom's House? Dad's House? Attitudes toward Physical Custody Changes

Abstract

Normative beliefs regarding postdivorce changes in the physical custody of children were examined. Four hundred and eighty randomly selected adults responded to a vignette about a divorced couple and their 16-year-old child. Conditions in the vignette included child gender, legal custody arrangements, and marital status. Quantitative and open-ended data were collected. Several themes emerged: (a) the parenting ability and lifestyle of fathers are suspect, (b) fathers are more obligated to sons than to daughters, (c) mothers are more obligated than fathers to take their children in when the children want to move, and (d) children's motivations for changing residences are important considerations. Implications for future research and legal custody decisions are discussed.