Perceptions of Parents, the Voluntarily and Involuntarily Childless: A Multidimensional Scaling Analysis

Abstract

This study examines the attributions made about males and females who have children, remain childless by choice, or who are involuntarily childless. Two groups of subjects, singles and parents of two or more children, rated the similarity of 16fertility-status persons representative of parents, the voluntarily childless, and the involuntarily childless. Multidimensional scaling of the similarity judgments revealed two dimensions: the first related to likability, being loving, devoted, and emotionally mature; the other differentiated among fertility-status groups in terms of loneliness and happiness. The three fertility statuses were located in distinct quadrants in the space, with parents of two or more children being judged most favorably on the first dimension, followed by the involuntarily childless and then by parents of one child by choice and the voluntarily childless. On the second dimension, parents of two or more children, the voluntarily childless, and parents of one child by choice were perceived as less lonely and happier than the invollntarily childless. Sex of the stimulus person made little difference to location in the stimulus space. Single subjects and parents presented highly similar perceptions.