A COMPARISON OF VOLUNTARILY CHILDFREE ADULTS AND PARENTS

A survey comparing 74 voluntarily childfree men and women with 127 mothers and fathers supported several hypotheses, revealing significant differences in stereotype perception, decision making, and certain dimensions of marital satisfaction. While no differences existed in affectional expression or dyadic consensus, the voluntarily childfree group displayed higher levels of dyadic cohesion and dyadic satisfaction. They also perceived themselves to be negatively stereotyped by relatives and friends. Some differences were also found in terms of life satisfaction and decision making styles, but not all differences were significant.