Social and Psychological Factors Affecting Fertility. XIV. Preference for Children of Given Sex in Relation to Fertility

The data supported the hypothesis that preferences regarding sex affect family size but they also indicate that this factor is not a major determinant of family size except among a small proportion of couples.

Abstract

The prevalence nature and strength of parental regardi ng sex of children is examined using data from the 1941 Indianapolis study. In particular data relevant to the hypothesis preferences regarding the sex of children affect the size of is analyzed. Couples were asked about their sex if they could have only 1 or 2 children and about the degree to which their desire for a child of a certain sex influenced them to have their last child. In general the data supported the hypothesis that regarding sex affect family size but they also indicate that this factor is not a major determinant of family size except among a small proportion of couples. About 53% of the wives and 42% of the husbands expressed no preference as to the sex of an only child. Among the remaining the husbands strongly preferred a boy while the wives preferred a girl only to a small degree. Generally preferred sex of 1 or 2-child families tended to correspond with the actual sex of such families. Preferences regardi ng sex of children seemed an important determinant of fertility among couples whose first or first 2 children were not of the sex preferred. These people continued to have children until they did have 1 or 2 of the sex or sexes preferred then had not more. The most common form of sex preference among both husbands and wives seems to be a desire for at least 1 child of each sex.