Mis(sed) Conceptions: Motherhood Through the Lens of Involuntary Childlessness
Abstract
The present study examined predictors of fertility-specific distress in the experience of
involuntary childlessness. One hundred and twelve women took part in this online
study. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire, the Fertility Problem
Inventory, the Relational Health Indices, the Feminist Perspectives Scale, the
Traditional Motherhood Scale, and the Hoffman Gender Scale. A hierarchical
regression analysis was conducted to examine how feminist perspectives, traditional
mothering values, gender self-confidence, and relational quality related to fertilityrelated
distress. The regression analysis revealed that traditional mothering values,
relational quality, age, and income significantly predicted fertility-related distress.
Specifically, higher endorsement of traditional mothering values significantly predicted
higher levels of fertility-related distress, while higher levels of relational quality
significantly predicted less fertility-related distress. Younger age and lower income
significantly predicted fertility-related distress. These results may inform counseling
strategies when working with women who have experienced reproductive problems and
may add to the growing body of literature investigating involuntary childlessness from a
feminist perspective. Placing women’s reproductive struggles in a sociocultural context
may help to increase women’s sense of agency, autonomy, and authenticity in
negotiating their own perceptions of motherhood as they make reproductive decisions.
Collections
- OU - Dissertations [9321]