The Lure of Motherhood
- 1 December 1980
- journal article
- Published by SAGE Publications in Psychology of Women Quarterly
- Vol. 5 (2) , 207-218
- https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-6402.1980.tb00957.x
Abstract
A multivariate exploration of motivations for parenthood in 184 unmarried, childless, female college undergraduates indicated that positive memories of early childhood maternal love, traditional feminine sex-role identification and antifeminist sympathy were the primary unique psychological variables accounting for expressed desire for children. Significantly correlated with parenthood motivation, but not contributing uniquely, were memories of father's loving care, perceptions of maternal success at, and enjoyment of, childrearing, and happiness of childhood. Women from large families (three or more siblings) expressed more desire for children than women from smaller families. Religious affiliation and birth order were not related to motivation.Keywords
This publication has 12 references indexed in Scilit:
- The value of children to parents in the United StatesPopulation and Environment, 1978
- Desired Family-Size Correlates for Single UndergraduatesPsychology of Women Quarterly, 1977
- Beyond Sowing and Growing: The Relationship of Sex Typing To Socialization, Family Plans, and Future Orientation1Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 1975
- Development and Validation of a Feminism ScalePsychological Reports, 1974
- Conceptions of sex role: Some cross-cultural and longitudinal perspectives.American Psychologist, 1973
- College student personality correlates of early parent-child relationship.Journal of Consulting Psychology, 1965
- The Semantic Differential and Inferred IdentificationPsychological Reports, 1964
- A comparison of direct, indirect, and fantasy measures of identification.The Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 1959
- On the nature of identification.The Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 1955
- Coefficient alpha and the internal structure of testsPsychometrika, 1951