To broaden the knowledge base of factors related to rapid subsequent births among teenage mothers, subsequently pregnant mothers (N=5), one-time mothers (N=5), and non-pregnant teenagers (N=10), between the ages of 14 and 22, were compared on use of contraceptives, educational goals, and family relationships. All subjects completed a personal…

Adolescents are able to respond correctly to questions about pregnancy risk and contraceptive use, yet still engage in risk-taking behavior. One explanation for this phenomenon may be the existence of a personal fable. To explore the existence of the personal fable in inner-city female adolescents, 22 eighth grade black females in Chicago…

College students' preferences for childbearing and timing of childbearing were investigated with a socialization approach. Specifically investigated were two questions: Are unmarried males and females similar in their attitudes toward desired family size and preferred age at first birth? Do similar factors influence male and female attitudes? To…

The role of anxiety, stress, and social support in predicting negative obstetrical outcomes was examined in a high-risk group of pregnant women. The predictor variables were assessed with separate self-report scales, including The Sarason Life Experience Survey, the Spielberger State/Trait Inventory, and a modified version of the Lazarus and Cohen…

The majority of studies of adolescent parenthood have focused on the relationship between fertility behavior and various social, economic and demographic factors rather than the role of psychological processes in wanting a child. To study the role that motivational factors play in the experiences and processes associated with adolescent…

The primary purpose of this study was to examine uneven early development in premature infants. A multiple regression analysis was performed in which birth weight, length of gestation, length of assisted feeding, and length of ventilation were used to predict the descrepancy between a child's Psychomotor and Mental Scale scores on the Bayley…

The timing of three key family formation events--first sexual intercourse, first conception, and first marriage--was compared for different levels of urbanization. The levels of urbanization considered were central cities, suburbs, nonmetropolitan urban places, and rural area. Data were taken from the National Survey of Family Growth, for which…