DELAYED PARENTING: HAVING A FIRST CHILD AFTER AGE 35.
Item
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Title
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DELAYED PARENTING: HAVING A FIRST CHILD AFTER AGE 35.
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Identifier
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AAI8501133
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identifier
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8501133
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Creator
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GOULD, MEREDITH ANN.
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Contributor
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Herbert Nechin
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Date
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1984
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Psychology, Clinical
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Abstract
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The study explored: (1) The differential impact of pregnancy on the wife and husband as related to the issues of Autonomy, Relatedness, Dependency, Achievement, and Nurturance. (2) The relationship between the age of mother and father on the attitudes toward pregnancy and parenthood by comparing subjects of two age categories: "average" 23-29, and "older" 35.;Eight couples made up the "average" group and 15 "older" couples also participated in the study. Demographic data was collected and each wife and husband were given a semi-structured interview and a Thematic Apperception Type Test designed to elicit feelings about pregnancy and parenthood. These were administered to each sometime during or shortly after the fifth month of pregnancy when fetal movement had begun. The interview responses and T.A.T. stories were evaluated by two raters on a set of clinically-anchored rating scales.;Hypotheses were tested that compared the groups on the above variables. Comparisons were made of the two genders within the age groups and hypotheses were also tested comparing the younger and older men and the younger and older women.;Major findings were that: (1) In the younger couples the women scored differently than their husbands on all five variables. These findings supported the hypotheses that younger women tend to view relationships in a more positive manner than do their husbands. (2) The older men and women had more similar views. They differed significantly on one variable indicating that the men showed less conflict than did their wives about their dependency needs. (3) The older women were more concerned than their younger counterparts about the tension between their outside interests and their relationships, and they felt greater conflict about their dependency needs. (4) The older men, contrary to what was expected, showed a more interpersonal orientation than the younger men on only one variable.;These findings were analyzed from three different points of view: a developmental and an historical perspective were considered as were individual life events. The data raised questions about theories that have been espoused about adult development and gender differences.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
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Program
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Psychology
