Individual psychological peculiarities of parents as predictors of highly conflict divorces

A clinical psychological research of 34 mothers and 40 fathers who underwent complex forensic psychological psychiatric expertise in judicial disputes between parents on upbringing of a child in case of their separation (on definition of the child’s residence or the order of meetings between the separated parent and the child), allowed to identify individual psychological peculiarities of parents which facilitate the development of high level of inter-family conflict. The most important predictors of highly conflict relationship in case of divorce are the parents’ inclination toward externally blaming reactions and explosivity. The individual psychological peculiarities which decrease the intensity of inter-family conflict are personal maturity, introvertiveness, high level of empathy and sensitivity to emotional nuances. Using the method of cluster analysis the authors identified typical personality syndromes which increase and decrease the risk of bringing the inter-family conflict to court dispute: demonstrative personalities with low motivational control, demonstrative personalities with more express control, paranoiac personalities, dependent personalities, balanced personalities.