Understanding the reasons for parenthood

There have been considerable changes in childbearing decision-making in the West over the last 50 years. These changes have produced a concern with understanding and predicting fertility change amongst demographers, sociologists, and psychologists. This paper presents findings from a survey ( n ?=?897) of a representative sample of white married couples in the UK currently without children. Gender differences are examined across a wide range of reasons for and against parenthood. A scale of the reasons for parenthood is developed in order to predict intentions to have a child. An 11-reason scale best predicts classification into intenders and non-intenders for both men and women. Only two demographic variables, age and marital length, also discriminate between intenders and non-intenders and these variables have both a direct and indirect effect on intentions. Most importantly for those interested in effecting behavioural change, reasons for parenthood significantly improve classification beyond that of demographic variables alone