Differential social evaluation of pregnant teens, teen mothers and teen fathers by university students

Abstract

Youth may be particularly attuned to social evaluation during the teen years with implications for physical and mental health. Negative attitudes and stereotypes constitute an important type of social evaluative threat. Pregnant and parenting teens not only encounter challenges associated with their early transition to parenthood, but also are confronted with unfavourable attitudes of others. A university sample of 255 men and women responded to surveys targeting their feelings and beliefs about pregnant teens, teen mothers and teen fathers. Teen mothers were generally perceived more positively than pregnant teens who were perceived more positively compared to teen fathers. Social evaluations were generally unrelated to respondents' sex or race, but respondents who had contact with a friend or family member who had experienced a teen pregnancy were selectively more positive, as were freshmen compared to seniors. Risks attributed to early childbearing may be exacerbated by negative social evaluations.

Keywords::

• teen pregnancy and parenting
• teen fathers
• social evaluation
• attitudes
• stereotypes

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Keri Weed

Keri Weed is Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of South Carolina Aiken, USA. Her recent book, Teen Pregnancy and Parenting: Rethinking the Myths and Misperceptions, coauthored by Dr Nicholson and Dr Farris, highlights conclusions from over 20 years of longitudinal research on teenage mothers and their children. Her additional research interests include development of children with cognitive disabilities.

Jody S. Nicholson

Jody S. Nicholson is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of North Florida, USA. Her primary research interest focuses on parents' capacity to reduce children's exposure to environmental neurotoxins to optimise child development. She is committed to a community-based research orientation to inform public policy. Her secondary research interests include adolescent mothers and their children, grandparents raising their grandchildren, fathering, health behaviour promotion for children with cancer and research methodology.