Abstract
This research examined the implications for efficacy based and worth based self-esteem among 266 infertile women who had utilized reproductive technologies within heterosexual partnerships in order to have genetic children and become parents. Drawing on a theory of self-esteem, within an identity theory framework, this research compared self-esteem between women who were currently utilizing assisted reproductive technologies to have children and women who had successfully used assisted reproductive technologies to have children and become parents. Self-esteem was measured by utilizing Cast and Burke’s (2002) Worth-Based and Efficacy-Based Self-esteem Scale in order to test the following three hypotheses: 1) self-verification (successfully producing a genetic child) will be positively associated with efficacy based and worth based self-esteem; 2) continued self-verification (the number of years spent as a parent) will be positively associated with efficacy based and worth based self-esteem; and 3) continued lack of self-verification (the number of years assisted reproductive technologies was used unsuccessfully), the lower the woman’s efficacy based and worth based self-esteem. Three cross tabulation analyses provided support for the first and third hypotheses, but did not show sufficient statistical significance to support the second hypothesis.
Advisor
Vicki Hunter
Committee Member
Laura Harrison
Committee Member
Diane Graham
Date of Degree
2016
Language
english
Document Type
Thesis
Degree
Master of Arts (MA)
College
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Recommended Citation
Steckler, A. R. (2016). Finding Parenthood- Parental Identity through Assisted Reproductive Methods and the Implications for Efficacy Based and Worth Based Self-Esteem [Master’s thesis, Minnesota State University, Mankato]. Cornerstone: A Collection of Scholarly and Creative Works for Minnesota State University, Mankato. https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/etds/592/
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