Divorce Signs Of Divorce 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which financial behavior is commonly considered a warning sign that a spouse may be preparing for divorce?
- Opening secret bank accounts or hiding assets (Correct answer)
- Increasing joint savings contributions
- Paying down shared mortgage debt faster
- Creating a shared household budget
Correct answer: Opening secret bank accounts or hiding assets
Secretly opening separate accounts or hiding money is a common sign a spouse is financially preparing to leave.
Question 2: A couple stops discussing future plans like vacations or home improvements together. What does this signal?
- A healthy focus on present-day living
- Disengagement from the shared future of the marriage (Correct answer)
- Mutual agreement to simplify finances
- Increased individual independence
Correct answer: Disengagement from the shared future of the marriage
Avoiding future planning together often indicates one or both spouses no longer envision a shared future.
Question 3: Which statement best describes 'stonewalling' as a warning sign in a marriage?
- Frequently arguing about household chores
- One partner completely shutting down and refusing to engage during conflict (Correct answer)
- Disagreeing on parenting styles
- Expressing anger through raised voices
Correct answer: One partner completely shutting down and refusing to engage during conflict
Stonewalling — withdrawing entirely from communication during conflict — is one of John Gottman's 'Four Horsemen' predictors of divorce.
Question 4: When spouses begin to prioritize individual social lives over shared activities, this often signals what?
- A healthy pursuit of individual hobbies
- Growing emotional distance and marital disconnection (Correct answer)
- Mutual respect for personal space
- Increased self-confidence in both partners
Correct answer: Growing emotional distance and marital disconnection
Consistent preference for separate social lives over shared time together can indicate that the emotional bond is weakening.
Question 5: A spouse who was previously engaged at home now comes home late regularly without explanation. This behavior most likely signals what?
- A temporary increase in work responsibilities
- Deliberate avoidance of the home and partner (Correct answer)
- A new hobby or personal project
- Efforts to increase household income
Correct answer: Deliberate avoidance of the home and partner
Consistently avoiding home without transparent explanation is a behavioral sign of emotional withdrawal from the marriage.
Question 6: Which of the following best describes 'contempt' as a marital warning sign identified by relationship researchers?
- Occasional disagreements about finances
- Treating a partner with disrespect, mockery, or superiority (Correct answer)
- Avoiding difficult conversations
- Crying during arguments
Correct answer: Treating a partner with disrespect, mockery, or superiority
Contempt — expressed through eye-rolling, sarcasm, or mockery — signals deep disrespect and is a strong predictor of divorce.
Question 7: When a couple has not been physically intimate for an extended period and neither partner raises the issue, what does this often indicate?
- A mutual and healthy adjustment to aging
- Acceptance and satisfaction with the relationship status quo
- Emotional disconnection and possible resignation about the marriage (Correct answer)
- A temporary phase that resolves naturally
Correct answer: Emotional disconnection and possible resignation about the marriage
Prolonged physical distance that goes unaddressed by both partners often signals deep emotional withdrawal and possible disengagement from the marriage.
Which financial behavior is commonly considered a warning sign that a spouse may be preparing for divorce?