Monographic lecture on

Reproductive psychology

Summer semester of 2009/2010

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

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

Maternal age – Poland and
some other EU countries

(EURO-PERISTAT, 2008)

% of mothers

under 20 yrs



Poland – 5,8



Slovakia – 8,1



Lithuania – 6,7



Latvia – 9,3



Estonia – 8,1



Germany < 3



UK – 7,2



Italy < 3



Ireland – 3-5

% of mothers

35 yrs and

older



Poland – 7-13



Slovakia – 7-13



Lithuania – 7-13



Latvia – 7-13



Estonia – 7-13



Germany – 19-24



UK – 13-19



Italy – 19-24



Ireland – 19-24

Primiparas

vs. multiparas

(second or

subsequent

pregnancy) (in %)



Poland –

51,3

– 41,6 –

7,2



Slovakia –

44,8

– 43,9 –

11,3



Lithuania –

50,1

– 43,0 –

6,9



Latvia –

53,1

– 40,3 –

6,6



Estonia –

49,6

– 44,4 –

6,0



Germany –

49,8

– 45,0 –

5,2



England –

39,4

– 46,8 –

13,8



Scotland –

44,3

– 48,9 –

6,8



Ireland –

40,1

– 49,4 –

10,5

Cesarean sections and
vaginal instrumental
deliveries (in %)



Poland – 26,3



Slovakia – 19,0 – 2,0



Lithuania – 17,4 – 1,0



Latvia – 19,6 – 1,0



Estonia – 17,7 – 3,9



Germany – 27,3 – 5,6



England – 23,0 – 10,8



Scotland – 24,7 – 11,8



Ireland – 29,5 – 0,8

Breastfeeding after birth



Poland – 90,4



Slovakia – 89,4



Lithuania –

no data



Latvia – 97,5



Estonia –

no data



Germany –

no data



United Kingdom – 76,0



Ireland – 45,5

Maternal mortality ratio
(per 100 000 births)



Poland – 4,4



Slovakia –

no data



Lithuania –

9,8



Latvia – 12,1



Estonia – 22,6



Germany –

5,3



United Kingdom – 7,7



Ireland –

no data

The ratio related to maternal age

Neonatal (0-6
days)mortality rate per
1000 births



Poland – 3,6



Slovakia – 2,2



Lithuania –

3,3



Latvia – 3,8



Estonia – 3,4



Germany –

2,0



Scotland – 2,2



England & Wales – 2,6



Ireland – 2,7

Infant mortality rate
(per 100 000 birth)



Poland – 6,8



Slovakia – 7,0



Lithuania –

8,1



Latvia – 9,4



Estonia – 6,3



Germany –

4,1



Scotland – 4,9



England & Wales – 4,9



Ireland – 4,6

Worldwide estimates of
reproductive events / ill-
health

(number / year)



Acts of sexual intercourse – 43 800 000
000



Pregnancies – 150 000 000



Complicated pregnancies – 30 000



Induced abortions – 45 – 60 000 000



Unsafe abortions – 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 (1994)

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