Reproductive psychology
as a discipline within
psychology and an area of
research

Eleonora Bielawska-
Batorowicz
Institute of Psychology
The University of Lodz
Poland

Outline of the lecture

• Biological, social and

psychological aspects of
human reproduction

• Reproductive psychology -

a definition

• Reproductive psychology

and other disciplines
within psychology

• Methodological issues

Birth statistics for Poland (GUS,
2007)

Birth statistics for Poland (GUS,
2007)

Natural increase in Poland

Worldwide estimates of
reproductive events / ill-
health

(number / year)

• Acts of sexual

intercourse

• Pregnancies
• Complicated

pregnancies

• Induced

abortions

• Unsafe

abortions

• 43 800 000 000
• 150 000 000
• 30 000 000

• 45 - 60 000 000

• 21 000 000

Worldwide estimates of
reproductive events / ill-
health

• Couples with

unmet family
planning need

• Infertile couples

• Maternal deaths

• Perinatal death

• Low-birth

infants

120 000 000

60 - 80 000 000

585 000

7 000 000

23 000 000

Evolutionary approach to
procreation

• Strategies of mate

selection:

– Universal in many cultures
– Designed to increase the

reproductive success

– In favour of a stable

relationships

– Differences when stable or

short relations are considered

Strategies of mate selection -
WOMEN

• Women prefer partners

– With resources, capability to

defend the offspring, good

physical appearance, good

parenting features,

– Study by Le Cerra (1994) – „who is

more accepted as a partner?”

• Women looked at photos of men in

different situations (with/without

children) and evaluated their

attractiveness as a partner,

husband, neighbour on 5-points

scale

• Those who attended to a child

were evaluated higher as a

potential husband

Strategies of mate selection -
MEN

• Men’s preferences of

partners:

– Young age
– Physical attractive ness
– Lack of previous sexual

relationships

Evolutionary approach to
parental behaviour

• Maternal investment greater than

paternal investment

– Paternal uncertainty

• Study by Apicella & Marlowe (2004) –

men who were more sure of being a

father were more involved in childcare

• Paretnal care is related to the

reproductive value of children

– Healthy child hypothesis

• Study by Mann (1992) – mothers with

twins expressed more caring

behaviour towards the healthier child

– Differential parental care

• Study by Baker & Oram (2001) –

parents favour a child with higher

chances to reproduce

Reproductive health…

... is a state of complete

physical, mental and social
wellbeing and not merely
the absence of disease or
infirmity, in all matters
related to reproductive
system and to its functions
and processes.

United Nations, 1994

The main domains of

reproductive health research

A vo id in g u nw a n te d p re gn a n c y

C o n tra c e p tio n

In d u c e d a b o rtio n s

B e a rin g c h ild re n s a fe ly

G o o d p re g n a n c y o u tc o m e

S a fe m o th e rh o o d

In fe rtility

M a in ta in in g re p ro d u c tive h e a lth

S T D s a n d H IV

R T Is

R e p ro d u c tiv e c a n c e rs

S e x u a l b e h a vio u r a nd s e x u a lity

S o c ie ty a n d c u ltu re

L a w s , v a lu e s a n d b e lie fs

S o c io e c o n o m ic c o n d itio n s

S e rv ic e s / u n d e r-s e rv e d g ro u p s

R e p ro d u c tiv e h e a lth re s e a rc h

Bio-psycho-social model of reproduction by M.
Hunter

Cultural factors

Psychological

factors

Social

factors

Biological

factors

Meaning or cognitive representation

of reproductive event or problem

Experience of symptoms or changes, and

emotional reactions

Coping and action

Psychological aspects of
human reproduction

• body - mind relationships
• psychosomatic relationships
• factor of psychological and

social development

• personality as a factor in

reproductive decisions

• family - new social group

and social interactions

What is reproductive
psychology

• ....a discipline which deals

with these psychological
processes and behaviour of
people that are evoked by
and related to their
reproductive activity.

Reproductive psychology - main
topics

• 1. Acquiring reproductive

potential

• i.e. puberty, menstrual cycle

• 2. Fulfilling reproductive potential

• i.e. decision to become a parent,

childbearing, complications of
pregnancy, infertility

• 3. Loosing reproductive potential

• menopause, gynaecological surgery

Reproductive psychology and
other psychological disciplines

Reproductive decisions -

the universal factors

• Society, culture, religion, status

of women

• Class, education, knowledge,

beliefs, myths

• Family, parents, friends, peer

group

• Couple relationship,

expectations of male/female
roles, sexuality

• Individual identity, career,

concepts of masculinity &
feminity, self-esteem

Reproductive decisions -

the universal factors

• Children (sons/daughters)

and their value, future
insurance

• Contraceptive methods,

services, availability,
personnel

• Abortion laws, personnel

attitudes, availability

Reproductive decisions – the

individual factors

• Psychological factors

– Having children in individual

hierarchy of life goals

– Feeling ready / not ready for

parenthood

• „The right time” for a child

• Interpersonal factors

– The quality of a relationship

• „The right partner”

• Material factors

– Sufficient resources for rising

children

• „The right resources for a child”

Research methodology

• Research paradigms

– Quantitative research
– Qualitative research

• All methodological rules known

in psychology are applicable

– Study design
– Ethics

• Research tools

– Adapted
– Designed for reproductive

psychology