Psychological component of the gestational dominant, family relations and parental attitudes of women in different ages and states (pregnant and non-pregnant)

Pregnancy is a special period of a woman’s development, characterized by the acceptance of the new social role and changes in behavioral patterns based on parental attitudes, representations of motherhood, and social expectations. This study aims to analyze age differences in the types of psychological component of the gestational dominant (PСGD) and parental attitudes of women in different states (pregnant and non-pregnant). The principal assumption is that the age and the current state have a profound effect and determine different types of PСGD. Additionally, the associations between types of PCGD and parental attitudes are analyzed. The research sample consists of 436 women aged from 18 to 40, divided into two sub-groups: pregnant women (203) and non-pregnant women with a child not older than five (233). Methods: «Parental Attitude Research Instrument» (РARI) and questionnaire «Types of psychological component of the gestational dominant»; ANOVA, t-test, correlation and cluster analysis were used as statistical methods. The main conclusion is that differences in parental attitudes and types of PCGD mainly depend on the women’s age. Younger women (not older than 21) have more negative emotions linked with the intra-family relations (relationship with their husband) and the child’s upbringing. In addition, younger women perceive depression as the central psychological component of the gestational dominant. Regardless of the age, emotional characteristics of the family relations correlate with more adaptive types of PCGD, while non-adaptive types of PСGD are mainly associated with the emotions concerning interaction with the child.