[Determining fertility behavior using path analysis]

In order to examine factors influencing the perception of ideal family size in Poland, "the present paper discusses path models, which explain a central reproductive behaviour category i.e. the actual number of children....[The author finds that] the image of the ideal family size directly influences the existing number of children. Path coefficients show that the increase of the ideal number of children by one standard deviation is associated with the increase of actual family size by approximately one third standard deviation of this explanatory variable." Other variables considered include parental influence, rural or urban residence, educational status, age at marriage, religion, and quality of life. (SUMMARY IN ENG)