Analysis of the attitudes and emotional processes in couples undergoing artificial insemination by donor

Osgood's Semantic Differential Questionnaire was used to study 40 couples undergoing an artificial insemination by donor (AID) programme. The following reference concepts were used: Father, Mother, Work, Marriage, Myself, Children, Pregnancy, Guilt, Sex and Family. The results show that women consider ¿being a Mother' as something emotionally ¿warm', take a positive position, feel ¿nervous' and wish the event happened quickly; this is significantly different to men, who give less importance to this fact. Men are more concerned about the pregnancy and consider it a ¿hard', ¿strong' and ¿heavy' experience. The score in the concept Guilt significantly stands out from the rest of the concepts in both men and women; it is also striking how AID women relate the concept Mother with the concept Father, whereas men establish the association between Mother and Work.