Marriage & Divorce

No one admits more readily than a good psychologist that psychology is not an exact science. Whereas in a few departments its methods may approach mathematical precision, in others, like research on character and personality, the procedures are just reaching the point where results of any clarity at all are possible. Yet into this hazy realm psychologists feel justified in pushing, and in reporting therefrom their findings, so long as, like good scientists, they warn the reader of factors that may obfuscate the conclusions. With no less than nine such warnings, Dr. Lewis Madison Terman, head of Stanford University's psychology department since 1922 and starred for distinguished research in American Men of Science, and Psychologist Winifred Bent Johnson present in the current issue of Character and Personality* a meaty, heavily documented summary of "Personality Characteristics of Happily Married, Unhappily Married, and Divorced Persons."

For subjects Investigators Johnson & Terman had 346 married and 116 divorced couples, closely matched in age, religion, education, occupation, nationality of ancestry. The married subjects furnished anonymous information which enabled the researchers to select the 100 most happily wedded pairs, the 100 least happily wedded pairs. These 200 pairs and 100 divorced couples were given the Bernreuter Personality Inventory and the Strong Test of Vocational Interests, consisting in all of 545 questions, some banal, some trivial, some bizarre, but all shrewdly calculated to draw answers constituting in sum a significant mosaic of personality. The investigators then drew six portraits distinguishing the men & women of each of the three groups from the other two.

Happy Husbands would rather be in business for themselves than employed by others. Although they are amiable, emotionally stable, co-operative and socially adaptable, they are less gregarious and socially ambitious than divorced men, less gratified by admiration, less attracted to talkative or fashionably dressed people. They like household pets, dislike gruff men. They are good at handling complaints. They are conservative, cautious, prefer not to make plans alone, would not like to be criminal lawyers or stockbrokers, seldom try to bluff their way past doormen. They like clergymen and teetotalers more than the other groups do; are not inclined to daydream; resent criticism. They rather like to argue which they do without losing their tempers.

Unhappy Husbands tend to dislike foreigners, sick people, household pets, gold teeth, athletic directors, educational cinemas. They incline to be irritable, neurotic, seclusive, but are lonely less frequently than divorced men. They want steady, permanent work, have less initiative, resolution and self-confidence than the other groups, but like change, outside work, think well of being railway conductors. They are quick to argue but dislike argument. They study their problems alone but prefer not to take chances alone. They pretend to be radicals but are actually conservative. They like to make radio sets, repair clocks, drive automobiles; are not much interested in languages, philosophy, music, literature, art.

Divorced Men are more gregarious than either happy or unhappy husbands. They complain to waiters about poor food. In general, they are "self-willed, self-centred, zestful, incautious, daring." They like poker; play golf best against their employers; keep their feelings to themselves. They are less orthodox in religion, more orthodox in politics than the other groups. They are not meticulous or methodical, dislike energetic people, loud talkers, teetotalers. But they also dislike people who always agree with them. They are more gratified by admiration than achievement, like to dance, try to enliven a dull party, will usually head an arrangement committee. They are like unhappy husbands in being repelled by old, sick and ugly people, and in moodiness, excitability, daydreaming; unlike unhappy husbands in energy, gusto, willingness to take chances.

Happy Wives prefer many friends to a few intimates. They like excursions, picnics, amusement parks, conventions. They think well of Luther Burbank, bird study and physiology, but tend to dislike Bolshevists, smokers, quick-tempered, emotional and absent-minded people. They are less interested in literature than unhappy wives or divorced women. As contrasted with the latter, they are much less self-sufficient, more desirous of attention when ill, more easily rattled, more quick to blush, more humiliated by derision, more reluctant to meet imposing personages. Unconventionality makes them uncomfortable; they are much more kindly disposed to unfortunates than to eccentrics. They get most of their opinions from conversation, tend to dislike jobs as editors and writers. They like clerical work but not solitary work. On the whole they are kindly, unselfish, placid, docile, methodical, cautious.

Unhappy Wives dislike being watched. They find their advice is seldom asked. They prefer easy jobs to hard jobs, get to work late, neglect details, are careless with their belongings. They incline to daydream, have "useless thoughts," feel inferior, have dizzy spells, regard themselves as nervous. They dislike to lend money or give help in an accident. They tend to be tactless, unsympathetic, petulant, critical. They resemble happy wives in liking social welfare work, picnics, excursions and parties and in expecting solicitude when they are ill; but they prefer not to ask advice and to face their troubles alone. They get more opinions from books than from talk. Although generally intolerant, they like people who always agree with them. Divorced Women stand in marked contrast to both happy and unhappy wives. Most surprisingly, they are less mercenary than either--more willing to lend money, less attracted to thrifty people and more to spendthrifts, less impressed by John Wanamaker, more willing to work for fun than for financial gain. They have self-assertiveness, initiative, self-reliance, ambition, integration of purpose. They make decisions promptly, are not easily flustered, seldom blush. They tend to be nonconformists, seek excitement, do not make many excuses for their mistakes. They would rather be foreign correspondents than Y. W. C. A. workers or school teachers. Toward idiosyncrasies in others their attitude is generally tolerant. They are not offended by The New Republic, people who talk slowly, prognathous people, nervous people, gruff men. tobacco chewers, Bolshevists, dreamers, but they tend to dislike teetotalers, clergymen, cautious people. Much less neurotic than unhappy wives, they drive wholeheartedly to their own ends, seldom ask or accept advice. They like chess and inventors. They chafe at regimentation, avoid picnics and excursions but go to dances and formal parties, can have fun doing and seeing things alone. "[The divorced woman's] personality," the investigators conclude, "lacks the element of sweet femininity but commands respect for its rugged strength, self-sufficiency and detached tolerance."

*An international psychological quarterly published by Duke University's famed psychology department.

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