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Intended childlessness in late adolescence: Personality and psychopathology

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Abstract

A series of studies are presented which examine the relation between parenthood intentions (intend to be a parent and intend to remain childless) and self-concept, mental health, and grade point average in a college student population. The results suggest that college students not intending to have a child tend to be statistically deviant on all the variables examined. Cross-validation results suggest a high frequency of psychopathology among the sample of young intended nonparent college students. Based on the MMPI results, the intention to be a nonparent appears to be associated with general maladjustment, rather than just a deviancy from social norms.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Health Sciences/The Chicago Medical School, Building 50, 60064, North Chicago, Illinois

    Rolf A. Peterson (Director of the Clinical Psychology Program)

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  1. Rolf A. Peterson
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Received his Ph.D. from the University of Iowa. Primary interest is parenting attitudes and parent training.

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Peterson, R.A. Intended childlessness in late adolescence: Personality and psychopathology. J Youth Adolescence 9, 439–447 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02087680

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02087680

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