Indicators of Preferences for Zero, One, or Two Children: Theory and Measurement

Toni Falbo , University of Texas at Austin
Shengjie Lin, University of Texas at Austin

The goal of this paper is to describe and evaluate indicators of preferences for zero, one, or two children, representing key components of prominent theories of fertility. This poster presents the results of the first of six studies aiming to define and evaluate a variety of indicators of preferences for zero, one, or two children. The first study examined sibship size as an indicator of sibling schema that guide the expression of preferences for the number of children wanted. The findings indicated a positive association between sibship size and number of children desired. However, young adults who grew up without siblings were like their peers in that they were unlikely to report wanting one or no children. Positive relations with parents as well as attitudes toward the environment were related to number of children desired. The remaining studies in this series are focused on perceptions of social norms.

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 Presented in Session 1. Fertility, Family Planning, Sexual Behavior, & Reproductive Health 1