Clarke-Stewart, Friedman and Koch (1985) stated that when divorce occurs in families where children are between 6 and 12, its disruptive consequences can include interference with their developing sense of industry and with the broadening of their thinking, both of which are factors that can hamper learning. Indeed, several studies have observed that young children's learning can be depressed and disrupted following parental divorce (e.g. Wallerstein, 1983; Hetherington, 1981; Hetherington, Cox & Cox, 1982). However, Emery (1982) observed that children's degree of adjustment to divorce can be elevated (and therefore the negative consequences lessened) if parents cease to continue their conflict and bitterness. To test the validity of Emery's statement, this study examines the effects of divorce on the learning of first-grade children in two groups of families: (1) families in which divorce occurred between 6 and 8 months prior and in which parents report resolution of their conflict; and (2) families in which divorce occurred between 6 and 8 months prior and parents report continuing conflict.
As noted prior, several studies have examined for the effects of divorce on the learning of young children. For example, Shinn (1978) reviewed 54 early studies of the effects of divorce, finding that the majority of them observed detrimental effects on school performance, learning achievement, and IQ tests. Shinn stated that some of the research suggested that the detrimental effects of divorce are strongest when it occurs in the child's preschool years. Similar findings have been observed in more current research (Klausmeier, 1990) Klausmeier (1990), however, has pointed out that regardless of some studies having found learning progress depressed as a function of divorce, when all of the research is examined, one of the primary findings is that there is wide variability in the quality and intensity of children's re...