Postponement of the first birth

This follow-up study was designed to investigate women's childbearing choices, specifically factors which influence the timing of the first birth. The study involved both the secondary analysis of data collected by Hoffman in 1974, and the collection of follow-up data in 1980 from Hoffman's participants. Hoffman's 1974 study was a follow-up of Horner's 1965 fear of success sample. All three waves of data collection (Horner, 1965, A75; Hoffman,1974, A14; and Foltz, 1980, A615) are on file at the Murray Center as separate data sets. Of the 86 women who had participated in Hoffman's 1974 study, 58 participated in this follow-up study. The average age of the 1980 respondents was 33.5 years, and all but one were college graduates. Forty-five were married, and 44 were working. Data collection was carried out by means of a 28-page mailed questionnaire. Variables assessed included number of children, reasons for having children and/or plans to have children in the future, satisfaction with timing of parenthood, actual or anticipated changes due to parenthood, marital status and marital satisfaction, work history, current work status, career plans, income and spouse's income, and report of changes in personal goals since 1974. The Murray Center holds all completed questionnaires from this study as well as computer-accessible data.