Attachment Orientations Predict the Likelihood of Choosing to be Childfree and the Reasons for Not Wanting Children.

Abstract

The current research sought to answer three questions regarding the decision to be childfree using a multi-national sample of over 18,000 people, over 2,000 of whom were childfree. First, we explored the diverse reasons people may have for deciding to be childfree and the rates at which those reasons are endorsed. Next, we investigated the association between attachment orientations and the decision to be childfree. Greater attachment avoidance toward parents was the strongest predictor of being childfree. Attachment anxiety tended to be related to choosing to be childfree due to concerns about health and safety, whereas attachment avoidance tended to be related to choosing to be childfree for personal lifestyle reasons. Overall, these data suggest that people have multiple reasons for choosing childfree lifestyles and that some of these reasons may be grounded in the security of their attachment relationships.