Post Hoc Justification of Family Size

Abstract

Currently popular approaches to fertility and family size research stress the effect of attitudes values and motives on fertility-related decisions and actions. In contrast the effects of decisions and actions in this aspect of life are accorded little attention. Two natural experiments were performed to show one such effect: the post hoc justification of family size intentions and completion. In the first study women were shown to favor their own family size over others and their relatively positive attitudes were stronger after their family was complete. Justification was also greater for more than two children and when the costs of children were greater because one required special care and education. In the second study women whose families had recently experienced an involuntary misfortune (medical or financial) justified their chosen family size more than did women not having a misfortune. All of these findings were predicted from consistency and commitment theories that hypothesize greater self justification when actions are (1) chosen (2) taken under low external pressure and (3) relatively costly. (authors)