The research topic of this study addresses the extent to which major decisions females aged between 21 and 55 make concerning childbearing and companionship are affected by their inadequateness and abandonment (or fear of abandonment). This population is chosen as females of this age (in the vast majority of cases) make such decisions on their own using their experience and background. The keywords associated with this study include female, abandonment, companionship, childbearing, inadequateness, psychology.
When searching for the necessary sources, these keywords were used. Notably, I added the keyword ‘psychology’ to narrow down the scope of sources as it turned out that these topics are often studied in such spheres as organizational management, literature, and healthcare (nursing, to be more exact). The search was implemented with the help of the EBSCO searching tools as this is an effective platform where thousands of relevant sources can be found.
The brief analysis of the literature available on the topic reveals the existence of certain concerns on the matter. Thus, inadequateness is regarded as quite a common feature many women have. Rutten et al. (2015) note that inadequateness has an impact on the way women develop relationships. Shorey, Stuart, and Anderson (2014) also focus on this concept and claim that females’ views on themselves and their place in the world affect their behavioral patterns.
The researchers stress that this is especially true for such vulnerable groups as substance abusers, but non-vulnerable groups are also affected considerably. Importantly, these sources contribute to the knowledge base as they provide insights into the way abandonment affects females’ behavior (and choices). Doron et al. (2012) also focus on the way females’ views on themselves and the world affect their behaviors.
The researchers note that females may even develop an obsessive-compulsive disorder that, in its turn, enhances their attachment anxiety. At that, these studies do not show the way inadequateness influences women’s choices concerning childbearing and companionship, which are crucial in females’ lives.
Abandonment has also become a topic of extensive research. Halford and Sweeper (2013) claim that abandonment is often associated with anxiety and the development of depressive symptoms in women. Such experiences often shape females’ behavior and decisions when it comes to companionships. This source contributes significantly to the knowledge base as it provides insights into the way abandonment affects women’s behavior. Nonetheless, little attention is paid to such areas as companionship and childbearing.
The research by Huijts, Kraaykamp, and Subramanian (2013) stands out against the sources mentioned above as it has a slightly different focus. The researchers address the issues concerning childbearing. They trace the correlation between females’ well-being and childlessness in several countries. The source is important for this research as it identifies one of the factors affecting women’s well-being as well as their choices. Huijts et al. (2013) claim that women perceive their childlessness less negatively in societies with tolerant norms associated with childbearing. Although this source does not address such issues as abandonment and inadequateness directly and in detail, it provides valuable insights into the way these concepts are connected.
It is necessary to add that the articles reviewed are relevant and recent, which makes them valuable for the present study. They provide relevant information concerning the issues related to the research topic of this study. Although they do not pay much attention to the way abandonment and inadequateness correlate with companionship and childbearing, the articles address different facets of these concepts.
References
Doron, G., Moulding, R., Nedeljkovic, M., Kyrios, M., Mikulincer, M., & Sar-El, D. (2012). Adult attachment insecurities are associated with the obsessive compulsive disorder. Psychology and psychotherapy: Theory, research and practice, 85(2), 163-178.
Halford, W., & Sweeper, S. (2013). Trajectories of adjustment to couple relationship separation. Family Process, 52(2), 228-243.
Huijts, T., Kraaykamp, G., & Subramanian, S. (2013). Childlessness and psychological well-being in context: A multilevel study on 24 European countries. European Sociological Review, 29(1), 32-47.
Rutten, E., Bachrach, N., Van Balkom, A., Braeken, J., Ouwens, M., & Bekker, M. (2015). Anxiety, depression and autonomy-connectedness: The mediating role of alexithymia and assertiveness. Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice, 1-17.
Shorey, R., Stuart, G., & Anderson, S. (2014). Differences in early maladaptive schemas between a sample of young adult female substance abusers and a non-clinical comparison group. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 21(1), 21-28.