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Emotional Variation and Fertility Behavior

Author

Listed:
  • William G. Axinn

    (University of Michigan)

  • Dirgha J. Ghimire

    (University of Michigan)

  • Emily Smith-Greenaway

    (University of Southern California)

Abstract

Emotional influences on fertility behaviors are an understudied topic that may offer a clear explanation of why many couples choose to have children even when childbearing is not economically rational. With setting-specific measures of the husband-wife emotional bond appropriate for large-scale population research matched with data from a long-term panel study, we have the empirical tools to provide a test of the influence of emotional factors on contraceptive use to limit fertility. This article presents those tests. We use long-term, multilevel community and family panel data to demonstrate that the variance in levels of husband-wife emotional bond is significantly associated with their subsequent use of contraception to avert births. We discuss the wide-ranging implications of this intriguing new result.

Suggested Citation

  • William G. Axinn & Dirgha J. Ghimire & Emily Smith-Greenaway, 2017. "Emotional Variation and Fertility Behavior," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 54(2), pages 437-458, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:demogr:v:54:y:2017:i:2:d:10.1007_s13524-017-0555-5
    DOI: 10.1007/s13524-017-0555-5
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