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Myth versus reality : attitudes, expections, and expectation-experience discrepancies in first-time mothers

University of British Columbia

A qualitative paradigm was employed in this study to explore the experience of becoming a mother for the first time. More specifically, this study was designed to explore attitudes, expectations, and expectation-experience discrepancies in firsttime mothers. Twelve pregnant women who were to become first time mothers were each interviewed twice. Once during the last trimester of their pregnancy, and once 8-10 weeks after they have had the baby. An interview guide technique has been employed in both interviews. The interviews included questions which were drawn from the current literature on the Myth of Motherhood and on the phenomenon of expectation-experience discrepancy. The results of this study indicated that the participants attitudes and expectations of motherhood reflected the myth of motherhood as it is described in the literature with minor changes. Furthermore, it was found that most of the participants had expectation-experience discrepancy in a few areas. In addition, women who reported more positive and less negative expectation-experience discrepancies also reported to be generally in a good mood, whereas women who reported more negative and less positive expectation-experience discrepancies also reported to be generally in a bad mood.

Thesis/Dissertation

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2009-02-03

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http://hdl.handle.net/2429/4119

Counselling Psychology

University of British Columbia

UBCV

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