PERSONALITY AND MARITAL DISSOLUTION

In the large scale, nationally representative 1984/5 Health and Lifestyle Survey of British adults, Neuroticism and Extraversion (as measured by the Eysenck Personality Inventory) were higher in the 200 women and 99 men who had separated or divorced than in the 1836 women and 1734 men who remained married. When such potentially confounding factors as the Lie scale score, age and social class were partialled out, Neuroticism and Extraversion remained greater in the women but not the men who had separated or divorced. Although not large, the findings provide further support that these personality factors may be involved in marital dissolution.