Psychological Factors Differentiating Unwed Mothers Keeping Their Babies from Those Placing Them for Adoption

Abstract

The study focused on possible psychological variables which could differentiate unwed mothers keeping their babies from those placing them for adoption when certain pragmatic, sociological variables were kept constant. These psychological variables were derived from a model constructed on the basis of psychoanalytic writing on the genesis of unwed pregnancy. Three hypotheses generated from this model were tested, viz. that unwed mothers who kept their babies would have poorer feminine identification; greater hostility toward their own mothers; and greater object needs than unwed mothers who released their babies for adoption. The Thematic Apperception Test was used to investigate these hypotheses. The experimental group consisted of 15 unwed mothers who had decided to keep their babies. These were compared with a control group of 12 unwed mothers who had decided to place their babies for adoption. The experimental and control groups were matched on a number of sociological variables. The results supported the above hypotheses. The applicability of these results were discussed. s. Atr. J. Psychol. 1979,9: 55 -60 Hierdie ondersoek is gerig op moontlik sielkundige veranderlikes waarvolgens onderskei kan word tussen ongehude moeders wat hulle babas behou en die wat hulle babas uitgee vir aanneming wanneer sekere pragmatiese, sosiologiese veranderlikes konstant gehou word. Hierdie sielkundige veranderlikes is afgelei ult 'n model wat gebou is op psigo-analitiese literatuur oor die genese van ongehude swangerskap. Drie hipoteses is ontwikkel en getoets, naamlik dat ongehude moeders wat hulle babas behou swakker vroulikheidsidentifikasie vertoon; groter vyandigheid teenoor hulle eie moeders openbaar; en meer objek-behoeftes het as ongehude moeders wat hulle babas vir aanneming uitgee. Die Tematiese Appersepsie-toets is gebruik om die hipoteses te toets. In die eksperimentele groep was daar 15 ongehude moeders wat besluit het om hulle babas te behou. Hierdie groep is vergelyk met 'n kontrolegroep van 12 ongehude moeders wat besluit het om hulle babas vir aanneming uit te gee. Die twee groepe is afgepaar op 'n aantal sosiologiese veranderlikes. Die resultate ondersteun die hipoteses. Die toepassingsmoontlikhede van die resultate word kortliks bespreek.