Stability and change in major life goals during the transition to parenthood

First published March 1, 2021 Research Article

https://doi.org/10.1177/0890207021996894

Commentary

When a person becomes a parent, it brings about changes in many different life domains.

This study was investigating whether and to what extent the transition to parenthood is associated with changes in the importance of major life goals.

We looked at changes in rank stability, ipsative stability, and mean levels across six life goal domains (achievement, power, change, affiliation, altruism, and intimacy.)

We had a sample of 248 parents and 294 individuals in romantic relationships with no children at two time points.

Overall, the researchers found high rank order (variable-oriented) and ipsative (person-oriented) stability, with little evidence for changes in the average level of importance of life goals across the transition to parenthood.

However, we did suggest that childless women were more likely to endorse the life goals of the agent than the mother.