Images

Felizon C. Vidad is a 2009 graduate of the PsyD Program in Clinical Psychology at Antioch University, Santa Barbara.

Keywords

childfree, mental health professionals, voluntarily childless, quantitative

Document Type

Dissertation

Publication Date

2009

Abstract

Studies conducted in previous decades have examined attitudes toward and perceptions of voluntarily childless men and women. Participants in these studies were usually comprised of high school, college, and university students. The results showed that, compared to those who were parents, voluntarily childless men and women were mostly perceived in a less favorable light. This study sought to investigate how voluntarily childless heterosexual couples are currently viewed and whether attitudes toward the voluntarily childless have changed since the earlier research was conducted. Participants in this study consisted of individuals who were practicing in the field of mental health and who might encounter voluntarily childless couples as clients. The collected data was analyzed, and areas of statistical significance were examined. Compared to the previous studies among student participants that indicated either more negative perceptions of the voluntarily childless, or very little or no bias at all, the current study’s findings suggest that mental health professionals have more positive perceptions of individuals who choose to be childfree. Results were utilized to formulate recommendations for further research.

Download

Share

COinS