Kids

Study of Personality and Other Factors Related to Satisfaction with the Decision to have Children

This research will help to discover what types of personality, background, and relationship factors are related to satisfaction, or dissatisfaction, with the decision to have children. The results may be used to help people decide whether or not they wish to have children, and, if so, how many. It is important that you complete your questionnaires alone and in private without consulting with your partner or your children. There are no right or wrong answers, and we encourage you to not to think about the questions too long. Usually the first thing you think of is the best answer for you. This survey is anonymous and confidential. You will not be identified in connection with the results of the study. Before your begin the survey, please write on a sheet of paper the name of each child for whom you have had parental responsibilites (for at least 1 year). List each child on a separate line, from oldest to youngest. Beside the oldest child's name, write "1st Child", beside the second oldest child's name write "2nd Child" and so on. In this survey each child will be identified by their age ranking. For this survey, please consider ONLY the time in which both the child and the parent or caretaker were both living in the same household, and during the time that the child was younger than age 20.

1. Your sex:

Male

Female

2. Your age:

3. How many children have you had for which you have had parental responsibilities? (Include any children that have lived in your household for at least one year, including step-children, adopted children, foster children, grandchildren, children of relatives, etc.)

For each of the children for which you have had parental responsiblities, please enter the following information:

4. Age (in years -- round to the closest year) Sex (enter M or F) Relationship to you (please enter one of the following words "genetic", "step", "adopted","foster", "grandchild", etc.) How many years each child has lived in your household, and how many years each child has lived outside of the household (after they first entered the household). Of course, leave blank the rows that do not apply to you (e.g., if you have only 2 children, complete the first two rows and leave the rest of the rows blank).

	Age (in years)	Sex (enter: M or F)	Relationship (genetic, step, adopted, etc.)	In household how long (in years)?	Out of household how long (in years)?
1st Child
2nd Child
3rd Child
4th Child
5th Child
6th Child
7th Child
8th Child
9th Child
10th Child

5. For each pregnancy, indicate if it was planned or unplanned, as well as if each partner wanted, or did want, a child (or was ambivalent about it).

	Planned Pregnancy -- and both partners wanted child	Planned Pregnancy -- and you wanted child, but your partner didn't or was ambivalent	Planned Pregnancy -- and your partner wanted child, but you didn't or were ambivalent Unplanned Pregnancy -- but both partners wanted child	Unplanned Pregnancy -- you wanted child, but partner didn't or was ambivalent	Unplanned Pregnancy -- your partner wanted child, but you didn't or were ambivalent	Unplanned Pregancy -- both partners did not want the child, or were both ambivalent
1st Child
2nd Child
3rd Child
4th Child
5th Child
6th Child
7th Child
8th Child
9th Child
10th Child

For each child, please indicate if they have any physical or mental disabilities. Mild disabilities are defined here as those that, while challenging, do not cause prolonged and serious stress to the child or the family. Serious disabilities are those that do cause prolonged and serious stress to the child and the family.

6.

	No physical disabilities	Mild physical disability	Serious physical disability	No mental disabilities	Mild mental disability	Serious mental disability
1st Child
2nd Child
3rd Child
4th Child
5th Child
6th Child
7th Child
8th Child
9th Child
10th Child

Please rate the personality characteristics of each child over the age of 5, using the following rating scale: 1 = very low 2 = low 3 = average 4 = high 5 = very high

7. Personality Characteristics

	Curious / Bright	Conscientious / Responsible	Extraverted / Outgoing	Agreeable / Nice	Emotionally Troubled (anxious, depressed, etc.)
1st Child
2nd Child
3rd Child
4th Child
5th Child
6th Child
7th Child
8th Child
9th Child
10th Child

Please rate how much affection and emotional bonding you believe there is (or was), overall, between each child and you, between each child and the child's other genetic parent (if applicable), and between each child and your current relationship partner (if he or she is not the genetic parent). Use the following rating scale: 1 = Very poor emotional closeness/bonding, or estranged. 2 = Poor emotional closeness/bonding. 3 = Some emotional closeness/bonding. 4 = Good emotional closeness/bonding. 5 = Very good emotional closeness/bonding. Remember to consider ONLY the time in which both the child and the parent or caretaker were both living in the same household, and during the time that the child was younger than age 20.

8. Emotional closeness / bonding between:

	You	The other genetic parent of the child (if applicable)	Your current partner (if he or she is not the genetic parent)
1st Child
2nd Child
3rd Child
4th Child
5th Child
6th Child
7th Child
8th Child
9th Child
10th Child

Although it may be difficult to make an overall assessment, please try to rate how much overall distress/unhappiness or pleasure/happiness each child has brought to your life, and the life of the child's other genetic parent (if applicable), and your current relationship partner (if he or she is not the genetic parent). Please use the following rating scale: -3 = Overall, produced very much distress/unhappiness -2 = Overall, produced moderate distress/unhappiness -1 = Overall, produced slight distress/unhappiness 0 = In between +1 = Overall, produced slight pleasure/happiness +2 = Overall, produced moderate pleasure/happiness +3 = Overall, produced very much pleasure/happiness Remember to consider ONLY the time in which both the child and the parent or caretaker were both living in the same household, and during the time that the child was younger than age 20.

9.

	You	The other genetic parent of the child (if applicable)	Your current partner (if he or she is not the genetic parent)
1st Child
2nd Child
3rd Child
4th Child
5th Child
6th Child
7th Child
8th Child
9th Child
10th Child

10. How many more children would you like to have in the future?

11. If you had your life to live over, how many children would you have?

For the following questions, again, please remember to consider ONLY the time in which both you and the child were both living in the same household, and during the time that the child was younger than age 20.

12. In general, do you think that having children has had a positive or negative effect on your career?

13. In general, do you think that having children has had a positive or negative effect on your leisure activities and vacations?

14. In general, do you think that having children has had a positive or negative effect on your marriage or relationship with the genetic co-parent of your 1st child?

15. In general, do you that think having children has had a positive or negative effect on your overall level of satisfaction with your life?

16. If you and a childless friend were discussing whether or not he or she should have children, what positive aspects of having children would you mention? Please list them below.

17. If you and a childless friend were discussing whether or not he or she should have children, what negative aspects of having children would you mention? Please list them below.

18. In your opinion, what are the most important factors that a person should consider when they are deciding whether or not to have children?

Demographics and Family History

INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR FAMILY OF ORIGIN The family with which you lived before age 20

Include step-children, adopted children, and foster children that lived in the household for at least one year.

19. Where do you rank in birth order?

20. How many children are there(including yourself) in the birth order?

Your sisters and brothers (siblings) On a sheet of paper, please write the name of each of your siblings with whom you shared a household for at least 1 year before you reached the age 20. List each sibling on a separate line, from oldest to youngest (do not include your own name in the list). Next to the oldest sibling's name, write "1st Sibling", beside the second oldest child's name write "2nd Sibling" and so on. For this quesetion, each sibling will be identified by their age ranking. For each sibling, please provide the following information: Their sex (M or F) The number of years older or younger than you (for example, if 2 years older, indicate +2, if 1 year younger, indicate -1) Relationship of sibling to you (please enter one of the following words "genetic" (both share the same genetic parents), "1/2 genetic" (both have one genetic parent in common), "step" (step brother or sister -- do not share a genetic parent), "adopted","foster", etc.) How many years you shared a household (before you reached age 20). How well you got along him or her, using a rating scale from -3 (didn't get along at all) to +3 (got along very well). Of course, leave blank the rows that do not apply to you (e.g., if you had two siblings, complete the first two rows and leave the rest of the rows blank. If you were an only child, leave this question blank).

21.

	sex	years older or younger	relationship to you	years together in household	how well you got along (from -3 to +3)
1st Sibling
2nd Sibling
3rd Sibling
4th Sibling
5th Sibling
6th Sibling
7th Sibling
8th Sibling

22. While you were growing up (before the age of 20), how well did your parents get along? (If they separated or divorced, consider the years in which they were together while you were growing up.)

23. If your parents divorced, or permanently separated, how old were you at that time? (Leave blank if they did not divorce or separate).

24. In what socio-economic bracket were you raised during most of your childhood (until age 20)?

25. In what type of area were you raised for most of your childhood (before age 20)?

26. Overall, how would you describle your childhood before adolescence?

27. Overall, how would you describle your adolescence?

28. Overall, how would you describle your adulthood before you became a parent?

29. Overall, how would you describle your adulthood after you became a parent?

Education and Occupational Information

30. Total number of years of formal education you had:

31. Your occupational group:

32. What is your current socio-economic bracket (choose one):

33. What is your total family income (in U.S. dollars):

Other Demographics

34. How would you describe your ethnic background (choose all that apply):

35. What is your current religous affliation?

36. How religious are you?

Not at all religious

Neutral

Moderately religious

Very religious

37. How would you describe yourself politically?

38. Current Relationship Status (check all that apply):

39. Your current sexual orientation:

Heterosexual

Homosexual

Bisexual

40. In what type of area do you currently live?

Support from Partner and Relatives with Children

41. How many times have you been married?

42. With how many different partners have you had children?

43. How old was your first born child when you and the parent of that child divorced or permanently separated (leave blank if not applicable):

44. If you had children with another partner, how many years did you and that partner live together before you divored or permanently separated (if applicatable):

45. If you had children with a third partner, how many years did you and that partner live together before you divored or permanently separated (if applicatable):

For this section of the survey, consider the partner you had when you had your first child.

46. Before you became a parent, how helpful did you believe you partner would be in the daily chores of taking care of the child(ren)?

47. After you became a parent, how helpful was your partner in the daily chores of taking care of the child(ren)?

48. Before you became a parent, how good of a role model did you believe you partner would be to the child(ren)?

49. After you became a parent, how good of a role model was you partner to the child(ren)?

50. Before you became a parent, how much affection did you believe you partner would show to the child(ren)?

51. After you became a parent, how much affection did you partner show to the child(ren)?

52. Before you became a parent, how well did you believe your partner would discipline and set appropriate limits for the child(ren)?

53. After you became a parent, how well did you believe your partner disciplined and set appropriate limits for the child(ren)?

54. Before you became a parent, how much did you think your partner would enjoy doing things together with the child(ren)?

55. After you became a parent, how much did your partner enjoy doing things together with the child(ren)?

56. How much help and support did you get from your parents, and your partner's parents, in raising your child(ren)?

57. How much help and support did you get from your, and your partner's, extended family (not including your parents) in raising your child(ren)?

58. How much help and support did you get from your, and your partner's, friends and neighbors in raising your child(ren)?

59. How satisfied with your marriage or relationship were you before the birth of your first child?

60. How satisfied with your marriage or relationship were you after the birth of your first child?

Interaction with Children Before You Became a Parent

61. Before you became a parent, did you enjoy interacting with the children of friends or family?

62. If you have had a job that primarily involved interacting with children, how much did you like it? (Leave this item blank if you have not had a job that primarily involved interacting with children.)

Personality Trait Descriptions

Please rate yourself on the following items:

63. passive----------active

64. not energetic----------energetic

Not Very Energetic

Neutral

Somewhat Energetic

Very Energetic

65. dominant----------submissive

66. timid----------bold

67. conforming----------independent

68. humble----------proud

69. quiet----------talkative

70. retiring----------sociable

71. cold----------warm

72. disagreeable----------agreeable

73. critical----------lenient

Very Critical

Somewhat Critical

Neutral