Voluntary childlessness: a social psychological model

This research compares a nonprobability, precision-matched sample of 27 female undergraduates wishing to remain childless with 27 female undergraduates desiring to have children. The purpose was to test 8 hypotheses in an effort to explain the desire for a childless lifestyle at a relatively early age. A social psychological model is presented that elucidates some of the influential factors. The basic idea of the model is that such a choice can be analyzed in terms of 3 basic concepts: 1) family background factors; 2) self-other attitudes; and 3) reference groups. The data in this study, although collected at only 1 point in time, support the argument that these concepts play a central role in the decision to remain voluntarily childless. The family background factors are seen as instigative in the development of autonomy and achievement orientation. These 2 factors, accompanied by a belief that the advantages associated with childlessness outweigh the advantages associated with childbearing, predispose an individual to desire a childless lifestyle, particularly when these various attitudes are sustained through reference group support.