A Comparison of Intentional Parents and Intentionally Childless Couples

The family backgrounds of couples who have willingly elected either to have or not to have children are very similar. Though levels of marital satisfaction for the 2 groups are also very similar the childless couples tend to have less traditional attitudes towards women and to interact more with each other than the parents. Intentionality of choice may be a significant factor for other areas of research for example divorce employed wives and homosexuality since many studies comparing groups do not distinguish between those who have deliberately chosen a lifestyle and those who have not. (authors)