PSYCHOLOGICAL NEEDS, PERSONAL VALUES, AND THE VALUE OF CHILDREN: A CORRELATIONAL STUDY

The present study examined the relationship of psychological needs, personal values, and fertility variables to the value of children. A positive correlation between self-report measures of the affiliation need and the affiliative value of children, the nurturance need and the nurturant value of children, and the succorance need and the succorant value of children was predicted. In addition, it was hypothesized that the social value, which emphasizes the loving aspect of human relationships, would correlate positively with the affiliative, nurturant, and succorant value of children. Finally, it was expected that the three child values under study would be positively related family-size desires and expectations. One hundred male and 100 female participants were administered three scales from the Personality Research Form as measures of the affiliation, nurturance, and succorance needs. The Study of Values, the Value of Children Inventory, and a questionnaire designed to yield data relevent to fertility values were also administered. The findings provided partial support for the hypothesized relationships. Pearson product-moment correlations yielded a significant relationship between nurturance and the nurturant value of children in both men and women and between succorance and the succorant value of children in women. No significant correlations between affiliation and the affiliative value of children were obtained. The social value correlated significantly with the nurturant value of children in the male and female respondents. Evidence for a relationship between the social value and the affiliative or succorant value of children was not obtained. Additional findings indicated a positive correlation between the affiliative value of children and the number of children the respondents expected to have. The men\u27s data showed a positive correlation between the nurturant value of children and the desired, expected and ideal number of children, and the number of children the male respondents would adopt. The social value in women and the religious value in men correlated positively with the four family-size variables. Implications for the role of child values as motivational components in childbearing are discussed