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Personality and having children: a two-way relationship.
Markus Jokela1, Mika Kivimäki, Marko Elovainio
1Department of Psychology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. markus.jokela@helsinki.fi
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
|February 13, 2009
Summary
Personality traits influence childbearing decisions and can change after having children. High emotionality reduced the likelihood of having children, while sociability and activity increased it, suggesting a bidirectional link.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Human Development
Background:
- Personality's role in relationships is known, but its link to childbearing is unclear.
- Understanding personality's influence on reproductive decisions is crucial for developmental studies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine if personality traits (sociability, emotionality, activity) predict having children.
- To investigate if having children leads to personality changes.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study of 1,839 Finnish adults (men and women) over 9 years.
- Assessed personality traits and childbearing status.
- Statistical analysis to determine predictive relationships.
Main Results:
- High emotionality decreased childbearing probability.
- High sociability and activity (in men) increased childbearing probability.
- Having children increased emotionality and altered sociability, especially in men, depending on baseline levels.
Conclusions:
- A reciprocal relationship exists between personality traits and having children.
- Personality influences reproductive choices, and parenthood can modify personality over time.
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