Social and Psychological Factors Affecting Fertility. XXIV. The Relationship of Family Size in Two Successive Generations

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Abstract
The data obtained from the Indianapolis Study have been analyzed to test the hypothesis "Family and childhood situations and attitudes affect the proportion of couples practicing contraception effectively and the size of the planned families". No significant differences were noted in births per 100 couples when the couples were classified according to the number of siblings of the husband and wife. When adjustment is made for the fact that some of the families are incomplete by making allowance for the wife''s age at the time of marriage and classifying pregnancies as births, no significant differences in excess fertility was noted in any of the marriage groups set up on the basis of the number of the wife''s sociological siblings. No correlation was seen between number of biological siblings and the type of family-size control practiced, the socio-economic status or feeling of economic security of husband and wife.