1. Objectifs

Intentions :
« The objective of this study is to present data from the literature concerning the sex preferences of the first-time-pregnant women and their spouses. » (p. 14)

2. Méthode

Type de traitement des données :
Analyse de contenu

3. Résumé

« Many studies in the last 45 years have shown that women prefer a boy to a girl for their first-born child, suggesting that this preference is universal in Western societies. A careful examination of these studies reveals, however, that the subjects were often women who were not pregnant and/or students. A review of sixteen studies with first-time-pregnant women showed that in most cases the opposite was true, namely, that a girl was desired more often than a boy, especially during the last two decades (from 1981 to 1996). Data concerning expectant fathers, however, indicate that they prefer a boy rather than a girl. A preference for a boy first was also observed for both nonexpectant males and females. Women’s preference for a male child decreased and men’s preference increased slightly when the two subperiods (before 1980 vs after 1981) were compared. A difference between men and women is, however, evident whatever the subperiod: men more often prefer a boy than women. These findings suggest that something specific about being pregnant is related to the preference for a girl first. » (p. 13)