| Abstract [eng] |
This research aims at identifying the factors that determine the peculiarities of the relationship between spouses during the transition to parenthood and revealing the changes in their relationship after the birth of the first child. The research was carried out in two stages: in the last trimester of pregnancy and after three or four months after the birth of a child. The questionnaire compiled by Kalicki, Peitz (1995) was applied in the first stage of the research. The questionnaire contained the following scales: pregnancy evaluation scale, the scale on confidence in their competence and control and the scale on sharing daily duties. The scale on the quality of couple‘s relationship (Kalicki, Hahlweg, 1992) was given to the respondents in order to evaluate the relationship between spouses. The questionnaire contained also three subscales measuring communication, tenderness/sexuality and conflicting situations in the relationship of spouses. It was also used Self-perception scale (Kalicki, Peitz, 1995). The following two scales were used in the secondary research: the scale on the allotment of daily duties (Kalicki, Peitz, 1995) and the scale on the quality of couple‘s relationship. 40 spouses, aged from 19 to 43, took part in this research. 15 couples out of 40 couples researched took part in the second state of the survey. The research was carried out on couples that were married, living together, expecting the first child and the woman was in her third pregnancy trimester. The following general conclusions could be drawn on the basis of the results obtained in the present research. Firstly, the research shows that those couples which reacted with great joy on the news about pregnancy gave higher value to the relationship itself, respondents who reacted with a great boast on pregnancy news appreciated tenderness/sexuality more than the relationship itself, while the relationship was given the lowest value by the couples whose reaction on the pregnancy was negative. Secondly, the study revealed that spouses that are emotional and optimistic give higher value to relationship rather than those couples that are flexible as they give more attention to tenderness and sexual relations. Thirdly, it became evident that the more traditional way of sharing daily duties, the lower is evaluation of the relationship between partners. The traditional way of sharing everyday duties changes, however, after the birth of the first child. Finally, the research shows that partners evaluate their relationship as worse after the birth of the first child, while men consider the relationship with their spouses then as deteriorationg and becoming more conflicting. |
