Parenthood and the Quality of Experience in Daily Life: A Longitudinal Study

This longitudinal study analyzes the timebudget and the quality of experience reportedby new parents. Five primiparous couples wererepeatedly administered Experience SamplingMethod. They carried pagers sending randomsignals 6–8 times a day; at the signalreception, they filled out forms samplingcurrent thoughts, activities, and the qualityof experience. Nine of the ten participantsworked full-time or part-time. 8 samplingsessions were carried out: 4 during pregnancy,4 after delivery, each one lasting 7–12 days.Maternity leave deeply influenced mothers' timebudget. Parents' quality of experience wasanalyzed in four daily activities: parenting,work, leisure, use of media. Significantdifferences were detected; specifically,parenting was associated with the highestvalues of mood, perceived challenges andinvolvement. Although the small sample sizeprevents any firm conclusion, findings providemethodological and theoretical suggestions forfurther studies. Developmental implications inthe bio-cultural perspective are alsooutlined.

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