The Incompatibility of Materialism and the Desire for Children: Psychological Insights into the Fertility Discrepancy Among Modern Countries |
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Authors: | Norman P Li Lily Patel Daniel Balliet William Tov Christie N Scollon |
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Institution: | (1) Singapore Management University, Singapore, Singapore;(2) Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA |
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Abstract: | We examined factors related to attitudes toward marriage and the importance of having children in both the US and Singapore.
Path analysis indicated that life dissatisfaction leads to materialism, and both of these factors lead to favorable attitudes
toward marriage, which leads to greater desire for children. Further analysis indicated this model was effective in explaining
the difference in desire for children between Singaporeans and Americans, whereby Singaporeans have lower life satisfaction,
higher materialism, and lower attitudes toward marriage and children. Materialistic standards of success were also related
to the emphasis women placed on potential marriage partners’ earning capacity. As Singaporean women had higher materialistic
standards, they also placed higher emphasis on potential mates’ earning capacity. Results suggest a consideration of psychological
variables such as life satisfaction, materialism, and mate preferences may lead to a better understanding of larger-scale
socioeconomic issues, including low fertility rates among developed East Asian countries. |
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