The primary focus of this research was on the emotional status of expectant mothers and expectant fathers. A comparison between couples who were currently expecting a child and couples who had had a child within one calendar year of the testing period was made. Specifically, expectant mothers were compared to present mothers and expectant fathers were compared to present fathers on three personality variables: the degree of emotional stability, the perception of the locus of internal-external control, and parental role identification. This comparison was made to determine whether men and women who were currently expecting a child would differ significantly from similar men and women who had already had their child in relation to the three selected variables.Participants in Lamaze prepared childbirth training were selected as the population to be studied. Members of one of four Lamaze prepared childbirth classes selected as the population for the research were asked to take part in the study. Twenty-one couples agreed to participate; the 21 pregnant women comprised the expectant mother sample, while the 21 husbands of the pregnant women comprised the expectant father sample. In order to compare the expectant parent samples to an appropriate control group, 100 former Lamaze participants who received their training from the same Lamaze instructors who provided instruction to the expectant parent samples were contacted and asked to take part in the study. Twenty-one couples volunteered; the 21 women comprised the present mothers sample, and the 21 men made up the present fathers sample. All subjects in the expectant parents samples were tested on the second meeting of their regularly scheduled Lamaze class. Those couples in the present parents samples attended a specially scheduled testing period.Six hypotheses were formulated relative to emotional stability, perception of the locus of internal-external control and parental role identification. The multiple choice Inquiry items of the Blacky Pictures Test served as the measure of emotional stability. Each subject's perception of the locus of control was measured by the Internal-External Locus of Control Scale (I-E Scale). An additional measure was obtained to determine whether a subject was unusually involved with the parental role. A writer-designed adaptation of the Blacky Pictures Test served as a measure of identification with the parental figures depicted on the Blacky Pictures Test illustrations. The adaptation consisted of the addition of the following question to the standard Inquiry items on each card: "With which character do you feel most involved on this card? Mama, Papa, Blacky, or Tippy?" Because the parent figures are depicted on only three of the 11 critical cards, four or more responses that indicated involvement (or identification) with the parental figures was considered to indicate unusual involvement with the parental figures. In addition to these three measurements, all subjects completed a demographic questionnaire.Statistical analyses were carried out to determine whether there were significant differences (p <.05) between the same sex samples. Results indicated two significant findings. Present fathers were found to be less emotionally stable than expectant fathers. In addition, the expectant mothers tended to identify significantly more often with the parental figures than did present mothers. All other measured variables failed to show significant differences. No significant differences were found between the expectant mother sample and the present mother sample in their perception of the locus of internal-external control; similarly expectant fathers and present fathers were not significantly different on the perception of control variable. Findings also indicated that no significant difference existed between the two father samples on the identification with the parental role variable. No significant difference was found between the two mother samples on the emotional stability variable.

This study examines the psychological issues of personal responsibility and control in the childbirth process. It examines the implications of the woman's preparation process and the choices she makes during pregnancy and childbirth. It also explores the way in which the birthing environment and the woman's interpersonal relationships affect her experience of personal control within the context of the childbirth period. Use was made of the case study research design. This qualitative design involved indepth exploration, of cases in which the women had recently given birth to their first child in the local hospital of a small town. The data analysis involved the use of a "reading guide", established by the researcher to allow for the examination of the data specifically in terms of the themes in question. Within the study the importance and value of the woman's accurate and sufficient preparation for the birth was seen to facilitate a realistic sense of predictability, which led to an increased awareness and ability of the woman to remain in control. This, along with the active participation of the husband and supportive network in the hospital, allowed for a sharing of the responsibility within the labour situation. This taking and appropriately yielding of control and responsibility had positive effects on the woman's experience of the event and for initial mother-infant bonding

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Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2002 / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This paper is an attempt to explore the appropriateness of the use of the specific psychological paradigm of dissociation as a possible response to pregnancy in lowincome women. Low-income women who fail to acknowledge their pregnancies may do so in an attempt to defend against feelings of fear, anxiety and helplessness engendered by the crisis of pregnancy. A dissociative response may serve to protect the expectant mother from conscious awareness of the full impact of what is happening, in other words, to provide psychological escape when physical escape is not possible. Such a response may initially be adaptive in that it provides these women with a means of coping. Dissociative processes allow, in the context of an inescapable crisis, the economizing of already limited physical and psychological resources. However, the prolonged use of dissociative strategies during pregnancy may have far-reaching implications, and, as such, be a hindrance to adaptive functioning. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie poog om ondersoek in te stel na die geskiktheid van die gebruik van die spesifieke psigiese meganisme van dissosiasie as 'n moontlike reaksie tot swangerskap in lae-inkomste vroue. Lae-inkomste vroue mag hul swangerskappe ontken in 'n poging om verweer te bied teen gevoelens van vrees, angs en hulpeloosheid wat deur swangerskap teweegebring word. 'n Dissosiatiewe respons mag dien om die verwagtende moeder te beskerm teen die volle impak van die gebeurtenis, met ander woorde, om psigiese ontvlugting te bied waar fisiese ontvlugting onmoontlik is. Welke respons mag aanvanklik adaptief wees in dat dit 'n manier van streshantering is. Dissosiatiewe meganismes bevorder, in die konteks van 'n onvermydelike krisis, die besparing van reeds beperkte fisiese en psigiese bronne. Die langtermyn gebruik van dissosiatiewe strategieë gedurende swangerskap mag egter verreikende gevolge inhou, en as sulks adaptiewe funksionering strem.

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This descriptive study compared life events in the lives of pregnant (n = 23) and non-pregnant (n = 23) adolescents using a developmental model. A 51-item life events checklist adapted from Robbins (1981) and Johnson and McCutcheon (1980) was used to identify occurrence and perception (good or bad) of life events. Mean ages were 17.3 (pregnant) an 17.0 (non-pregnant). Ethnic representation was Hispanic (n = 28), Anglo (n = 14), American Indian (n = 2), and Black (n = 2). One pregnant and seven non-pregnant adolescents were employed. Thirty-nine adolescents lived with their parents, and seven lived on their own. Pregnancy of sister or close friend, an increased number of arguments between parents, a change in parents' financial status, and trouble with brother or sister were reported by more than 50% of the total. No significant difference existed in either the total number or perception of life events between groups. In addition, the developmental adaptation categories revealed no significant statistical difference.

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No description available.

The labour pain experienced by 101 women giving birth in a Scottish hospital was assessed by the McGill Pain Questionnaire and Visual Analogue Scales during active first stage labour and post-natally. Labour pain was found to be on average severe, but not intensely negatively affective. Its intensity varied considerably and was related to parity and the duration of the first stage of labour reflecting underlying differences in levels of noxious stimulation. Other obstetric and pharmacological factors which might affect noxious stimulation were not significantly related to pain scores. Induction was related to higher,and complications of pregnancy, to lower levels of pain attributable to psychological modulation. The desirability of pregnancy, positive and accurate expectations of birth, ante-natal training and the welcomed presence of the husband at the birth were associated with significantly lower levels of labour pain, particularly of non-sensory pain. A few subjects had very minimal previous experience of pain. These subjects had the lowest levels of pain in childbirth, perhaps because they were relatively insensitive to noxious stimulation. Subjects whose previous experience of pain had been extensive had significantly lower levels of labour pain than subjects whose previous pain experience had been more limited. Subjects who had extensive experience of pain used a larger number of strategies to cope with that pain than subjects whose experience had been more moderate. They used more strategies during labour, a greater proportion of which they had used previously. The use of a number of strategies in labour, either in combination or in sequence was related to lower levels of labour pain but not to painless childbirth. So too was the use of strategies which had been previously utilised. The relationship between previous pain experience and levels of labour pain was mediated by the differential use of coping strategies.