Psychological Well-Being Among Parents and Nonparents

Abstract

Recent work on social roles and psychological well-being suggests that parenthood appears to be an exception to the general finding that participation in normatively expectable social roles is associated with higher well-being. This article argues that both parents and non-parents vary among themselves in the normative expectedness of their situations. Using data from a representative community sample of 945 adults aged 22-64 living in the Chicago urbanized area, six categories of parents and nonparents are distinguished, and the extent to which variations in the normative expectedness of their parental experiences explain observed differences in well-being is examined. Multivariate analyses suggest that parental situation effects vary by gender and extent of economic pressures. Childlessness that has persisted beyond age 30 has a greater negative impact on women, while living apart from minor-age children is more negative for men. The older childless, and both empty nest parents and delayed launchers, are more negatively affected by economic pressures than are other groups. These findings extend previous arguments that the effects of major adult roles vary with the normative expectedness of experiences.

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