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The differential response to the divorce of parents on the part of preschool children was investigated by looking at the cumulative effect of stressful life events on preschool children and on their parents. Divorced, custodial mothers and non divorced mothers of preschool children described demographic characteristics of their families and completed a behavioral checklist of the child, a parent's life events inventory, and a child's life events inventory. Preschool teachers also described the child's behavior. Being from a divorced family predicted aggression, concentration problems, and acting toward parents. Perceived inadequacy of income, low total income, and older age of mother predicted a variety of adjustment problems independent of marital status of parents. Heightened anxiety in the child occurred as a function of having inadequate income and being from a divorced family. Stressful life events in the mother were more predictive of adjustment in the child than were stressful life events in the child. Thus, different types and sources of stress may lead to different pathways of maladjustment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]