[The relationship between maternal role attainment during pregnancy and empathy].
The purpose of this study was to describe the relationship between maternal role attainment during pregnancy and empathy. Sixty-seven pregnant women were asked to complete the Japanese version of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index to measure their empathy, and were subsequently divided into a high-empathy group consisting of 13 subjects, and a low-empathy group consisting of 9 subjects. Data was collected from the 12th through the 30th gestational week by means of a semi-structured interview which was based on Rubin's conseptual model of maternal role attainment. The following results were obtained. 1. Eight subjects of the high-empathy group and 2 of the low-empathy group were judged to have reached the Introjection-projection-rejection phase. 2. High-empathy group subjects displayed Mimicry more of ten, had partners near them during Role-play, began Fantasy earlier, and expected more changes in themselves through Grief-work than low-empathy group subjects. 3. High-empathy group subjects were more prepared for the maternal role before conception, came in contact with people that served as a role model more often during pregnancy, and formed Binding-in earlier than low-empathy group subjects.
Ishii
K
K
School of Nursing, Chiba University.
Mori
E
E
Maehara
S
S
D004645:Empathy; D005201:Fantasy; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D006801:Humans; D008425:Maternal Behavior; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000523:psychology*; D011385:Projection; D012381:Role Playing; D012649:Self Concept; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires