Repository logo
 

Use of prenatal testing, emotional attachment to the fetus and fetal health locus of control

dc.contributor.advisorLawson, Karen L.en_US
dc.contributor.committeeMemberChartier, Brian M.en_US
dc.contributor.committeeMemberBrown, Yvonneen_US
dc.contributor.committeeMemberMcKim, Margareten_US
dc.creatorTurriff-Jonasson, Shelley Ien_US
dc.date.accessioned2004-08-23T17:08:04Zen_US
dc.date.accessioned2013-01-04T04:54:04Z
dc.date.available2004-08-24T08:00:00Zen_US
dc.date.available2013-01-04T04:54:04Z
dc.date.created2004-08en_US
dc.date.issued2004-08-23en_US
dc.date.submittedAugust 2004en_US
dc.description.abstractThis study examines the relationship between maternal emotional attachment to the fetus, beliefs about fetal health locus of control, and use of prenatal testing (i.e., amniocentesis and maternal serum screening). To date, no research has directly addressed the link between these psychosocial variables and prenatal testing uptake. Ninety-one pregnant women at risk for fetal abnormalities (i.e., 35 years of age or older) participated in the study, of whom 35 had no testing, 27 had serum screening, and 29 had amniocentesis in their current pregnancy. Results of a hierarchical multiple regression partially supported the hypothesis that internal and powerful others Fetal Health Locus of Control (Labs & Wurtele, 1986) and prenatal testing status would be predictive of attachment (Prenatal Attachment Inventory; Muller, 1993) over and above the effects of gestational age, maternal age and attitude toward abortion. Fetal Health Locus of Control beliefs regarding one’s own role (FHLC-I) in determining the health of one’s fetus were found to be predictive of prenatal attachment. Results failed to support the hypothesis that the role of health professionals (FHLC-P) would be predictive of prenatal attachment. As predicted, women who had not used prenatal testing or who underwent amniocentesis tended to have stronger prenatal attachment than those who underwent serum screening only. Results supported the hypotheses that stronger attachment to the fetus would be positively correlated with both FHLC-I and FHLC-P scores. Women who had no testing were found to hold less favourable attitudes toward abortion and rate their religious as stronger than those who had amniocentesis. Emotional attachment to the fetus was stronger among women who had previous miscarriages than those who had not, but did not differ between women who had a previous abortion and those who had not.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10388/etd-08232004-170804en_US
dc.language.isoen_USen_US
dc.subjectPrenatal Attachmenten_US
dc.subjectPrenatal Bondingen_US
dc.subjectPrenatal Testingen_US
dc.subjectFetal Health Locus of Controlen_US
dc.titleUse of prenatal testing, emotional attachment to the fetus and fetal health locus of controlen_US
dc.type.genreThesisen_US
dc.type.materialtexten_US
thesis.degree.departmentPsychologyen_US
thesis.degree.disciplinePsychologyen_US
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Saskatchewanen_US
thesis.degree.levelMastersen_US
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Arts (M.A.)en_US

Files

Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Name:
TurriffJonassonThesis.pdf
Size:
354.45 KB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
License bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
license.txt
Size:
905 B
Format:
Plain Text
Description: