Parenthood as Crisis: A Third Study

This study attempted to learn if earlier findings with middle-class subjects would generalize to a probability sample of first-time parents' adjustment to parenthood. Measurement of crisis proved to be a central problem and so became an added objective. Parenthood was found to be not very difficult, and variables which earlier had been found to differentiate couples in the slight-moderate crisis category from those in the extensive-severe category were not statistically significant. Caution is warranted until more progress is made in measuring crisis and until investigation extends to more adequate samples.