Thaindian News

July 8, 2010 (Pen Men at Work): A recent study has revealed some really astonishing facts about divorce. The study has shown that even something like a divorce can also be contagious. The impact of a divorce is described much in the similar fashion as that of a ‘domino effect’. American researchers say that a person’s chances of a divorce increases by 75 %, in case he or she witnesses his or her parents having a divorce. Scientists have gone another step further and have said that a break up of a relationship or a break up of a marriage of your friend can adversely affect you as well.

This weird and almost shocking occurrence is brought to light by the Primrose Hill set of the celebrities of North London in the 90s. The celebrity couples of that era included Patsy Kensit and Liam Gallagher, Sadie Frost and Jude Law, Meg Mathews and Noel Gallagher amongst others. In a bizarre co-incidence none of them are together presently.

The contagious personality of a divorce is called by a term coined by the US based researchers. They call it “divorce clustering”. A research conducted by Rose McDermott from the Brown University in Rhode Island, shows that each divorce sort of sends a ripple through his or her friend circle; very soon they themselves start getting affected. It’s like a chain reaction and it spreads from the divorced person to his/her friends.

Some researchers believe that this divorce effect is taking place as the modern man or the woman has a new kind of attitude towards marriage. Their previously set up definitions have all been altered. Nowadays the stigma surrounding the tag ‘single parent’ has also decreased considerably.