Publication Type
Journal Article
Version
acceptedVersion
Publication Date
7-2011
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"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." 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.
Keywords
Materialism, Life satisfaction Mate preferences, Marriage, Children, Cross-cultural, Fertility, Singapore
Discipline
Asian Studies | Family, Life Course, and Society | Multicultural Psychology | Social Psychology
Research Areas
Psychology
Publication
Social Indicators Research
Volume
101
Issue
3
First Page
391
Last Page
404
ISSN
0303-8300
Identifier
10.1007/s11205-010-9665-9
Publisher
Springer Verlag
Citation
LI, Norman P., PATEL, Lily, BALLIET, Daniel, TOV, William, & SCOLLON, Christie N..(2011). The Incompatibility of Materialism and the Desire for Children: Psychological Insights into the Fertility Discrepancy Among Modern Countries. Social Indicators Research, 101(3), 391-404.
Available at: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/soss_research/1048
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Additional URL
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-010-9665-9
Included in
Asian Studies Commons, Family, Life Course, and Society Commons, Multicultural Psychology Commons, Social Psychology Commons