EMOTIONAL TRADE-OFFS OF BECOMING A PARENT - HOW SOCIAL ROLES INFLUENCE SELF-DISCREPANCY EFFECTS

Why do some people suffer from becoming a parent, whereas others do no t? New parents' actual selves were related to their own hopes for them selves (ideal self) and to their spouse's sense of their responsibilit ies (ought self). Prebirth actual-ideal discrepancies predicted increa sed sadness or dejection after birth (especially for couples in longer marriages), whereas prebirth actual-ought discrepancies predicted dec reased nervousness or agitation after birth (especially for mothers an d couples with a less ''easy'' child). Becoming a parent introduces ne w demands that both interfere with attaining one's own hopes (increasi ng dejection in parents high in ideal [own] discrepancy) and shift att ention to the new parenting role (decreasing agitation in parents high in ought [spouse] discrepancy).