Dissolve It or Resolve It: An Exploration into ‘When’ and ‘Why’ Divorce is Justified by the Unmarried Youth

The present research delves into the divorce process and its justification through young Indian unmarried youth. Building on the results obtained from the pilot study, a vignette-based experiment was then conducted on 80 students (40 males, 40 females; Mage = 22.30). The experiment followed a between-subject design where each vignette presented a narrative of a deteriorating marriage, conveyed from a woman’s standpoint, followed by questions addressing the justification for divorce. Results showed a preference for divorce in cases of infidelity over incompatibility. The participants held the belief that instances of infidelity impacted the mental and physical well-being of females more profoundly than cases of incompatibility. It is noteworthy that both male and female participants supported divorce in a similar manner, highlighting the lack of substantial gender-based differences in this matter. Additionally, the presence of a child did not significantly affect divorce-related decisions, suggesting that having a child did not salvage failing marriages.