Premium
Knowledge and Attitudes Toward Infertility and Childless Couples
Author(s) -
Kopper Beverly A.,
Smith M. Shelton
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
journal of applied social psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.822
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1559-1816
pISSN - 0021-9029
DOI - 10.1111/j.1559-1816.2001.tb00175.x
Subject(s) - psychology , affect (linguistics) , hostility , anger , infertility , fertility , social psychology , character (mathematics) , developmental psychology , clinical psychology , demography , pregnancy , sociology , population , geometry , mathematics , communication , biology , genetics
This study of 456 female and 205 male college students investigated knowledge and attitudes toward infertility and reactions to couples with varied fertility status. The gender and career status of the target individual also were varied. The most negative affect and stories were indicated for those described as childless by choice. The male target character also was rated more negatively than the female target character. The greatest responsibility and control were assigned to childless‐by‐choice and childless‐no‐explanation groups. The most positive affect and stories were indicated for those described as childless with no explanation given. Infertile couples were attributed less control and responsibility and elicited some degree of anger and hostility from others.