The comparison of schemas, parenting style, and life traps in married and divorced women

The present study was an attempt to assess the early maladaptive schemas, parenting style, and life traps in married and divorced women in Tehran. Towards this end, 148 divorced applicants and 202 married women (350 in total) took part in the present study. Divorced applicants were selected from among the court clients using convenience sampling, and the normal group was selected using random cluster sampling from a number of elementary schools in Tehran. Data collection was done using Early Maladaptive Schemas (EMSs), Young Parenting Inventory (YPI), and the Life Trap questionnaire. For data analysis, MANOVA and path analysis were used. The two groups significantly differed from each other in the schemas of Disconnection and Rejection, Impaired Autonomy and Performance, Other-Directedness and Over-vigilance/Inhibition, Parental Origins, and life traps. It is possible to predict divorce life traps using early maladaptive schemas and develop a model of divorce prevention and marital therapy based on the schematic therapeutic approach. The findings of this study can also be applied to clinical and counseling environments to help couples on the threshold of divorce.