An Examination of Women's Decision-Making Processes During Unplanned Pregnancy

Abstract

Through the current study the author sought to analyze discourses of women who have experienced an unplanned pregnancy. A qualitative approach was used to gather responses regarding the decision-making process women undergo during this phenomenon. Data showed that persuasive messages from outside sources frequently had a reported impact on the pregnancy option women chose. Often, women would plan on carrying their pregnancy to term initially, yet the persuasive messages they received caused them to change their mind. Women's speculations about the assumed reactions they would receive from others also had an impact on their decision. Implications from this research suggest that women experiencing an unplanned pregnancy may benefit from their family members, significant others, and friends' awareness of the strong impact opinions can have on this decision-making process.

Keywords:

• Decision-Making Processes
• Grounded Theory
• Qualitative
• Unplanned Pregnancy

Acknowledgments

The author would like to thank Alastair Knowles for his help with the manuscript and Dr. Elizabeth Craig for her help constructing the survey. Additionally, the author is grateful for the comments provided by Dr. Valerie Manusov and Dr. Kami Kosenko. Finally, the author is grateful to the 3 anonymous reviewers for their insightful feedback.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jacquelyn A. Harvey-Knowles

Jacquelyn A. Harvey-Knowles is a doctoral student at the University of Washington, Department of Communication, University of Washington, 340M CMU, Box 353740, Seattle, WA 98125.