[Social-emotional and cognitive markers in children of divorce and in children from 2-parent families--a cross sectional study].

Related to the research of the effects of separation and divorce on children there is a lack of empirical studies in Germany. The following cross-sectional field-study directly investigate 48 children from divorced and 32 children from two-parent-families regarding socio-emotional and some cognitive characteristics (nonclinical samples). Projective and semi-projective tests were the preferred instruments. One of the main questions was related to frustration behavior, measured by the Rosenzweig-Picture-Frustration Test (childrens form). This test was used for the first time by a population of German children of divorce. Children of divorce showed a special frustration behavior, a so called M-profile showing many impunitive reactions. They avoid direct conflicts or struggle and try to deny the frustration. Also the subtests of the Hamburg-Wechsler-Intelligence test for children (HAWIK) show clearly that children from divorced families obtain much poorer test values in contrast to children from two-parent homes.