Study about Ambivalence and Desire for Child Birth by Working Mothers: Focusing on Mediation Effect of Multiple-role Efficacy

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between ambivalence of Korean working mothers for children and their future desire for child birth. This study examined multiple-role efficacy as a mediator in the relationship between ambivalence for their children and future desire for child birth by Korean working mothers having more than one pre-school aged child. This study examined the mediation effect of multiple-role efficacy on the relationship between ambivalence and desire for child birth by working mothers. On-line and off-line survey data from 291 Korean working mothers with more than one pre-school aged child was used for this study. Collected data were analyzed using the PASW 18.0 program and descriptive statistics analyses. Structural equation modeling and bootstrapping were conducted by AMOS 20.0 program. Results showed that ambivalence for children of working mothers having pre-school aged children had no direct influence on future child birth desire. However, their ambivalence had an indirect influence on future child birth desire through multiple-role efficacy and multiplerole efficacy by working mothers had significant effect on child birth desire. In conclusion, the working mothers’ multiple-role efficacy had a mediation influence on the relationship between ambivalence for children and desire of child birth. These results were discussed for designing a policy to counter low birth.