How your parents' split shapes your love life: the unique circumstances surrounding your folks' divorce can hold clues to why you act the way you do in romantic relationships.(LOVE AND LUST)

Here's a stat that could make your jaw drop: According to data from the National Opinion Research Center, 25 percent of people between the ages of 18 and 44 are children of divorce. If you're one of them, there's something you should know. "Your parents' marriage affects your own relationships, providing a model for how couples interact and treat each other," says psychologist Elizabeth S. Thayer, PhD, coauthor of Adult Children of Divorce. "If that marriage falls apart--or was dysfunctional to begin with--it can have a profound effect on your views about love and commitment."

Does this mean you're doomed to repeat their mistakes? Not at all. Cosmo explores the negative and positive influences witnessing a failed marriage so close up can have on your love life.

FACTOR 1

The Degree of Conflict

Good news: "If your parents got along fairly peacefully before and after the divorce and the transition wasn't too stressful, you're better off than people who grew up with married parents who fought frequently," says Thayer.

"When divorced parents get along well, it can teach children positive lessons about resolving conflict," adds psychologist Joan B. Kelly, PhD, an expert on children of divorce. So as an adult, when you get into a fight with your guy, you're equipped with the tools to resolve it.

If your mom and dad were constantly at each other's throats, however, you may try to avoid conflict with your man at all costs. Or you may wind up unconsciously replaying their fight style.