Science and surrogate motherhood

Comparative analysis of surrogate mothers and women having other maternity status(3)

Psychological special characteristics of motives and attractions

The participants of this comparative study are represented by the four groups of young women who materialize their reproductive abilities by different methods. The total number of women participating in the study was 80 with each group consisting of 20 women. (see "Comparative Analysis of Surrogate Mothers and Women Having Other Maternity Status (1)": Psychological characteristics of lifestyle, behavior and relationship) and "Comparative Analysis of Surrogate Mothers and Women Having Other Maternity Status (2)": Psychological special features of character).

Motives and attractions represent psychological features that drive and direct human behavior. The results of testing the base, genetically inheritable attractions were applied to the four groups of women for analysis purposes and presented in the form of the diagram (Figure 7).

Мотивы и влечения – Motives and attractions
Персональная любовь – Personal love
Гуманизм – Humanism
Активность – Activity
Пассивность – Passivity
Черты "Авеля" – "Abel" features
Черты "Каина" – "Cain" features
Тщеславие – Vanity
Застенчивость – Shyness
Формирование идеалов – Generation of ideals
Обесценивание потребностей – Devaluation of requirements
Противоречивость – Inconsistency
Приписывание – Attribution
Изменчивость – Variability
Инертность – Inertness
Привязанность – Affection
Разрыв – Break-off
Суррогатные матери – Surrogate mothers
Бездетные женщины – Childless women
Женщины с 1-2 детьми –Women having 1 or 2 children
Многодетные матери – Mothers of many children

Fig. 7. Base attractions power averaged according to groups of different maternity status

The above-mentioned attractions represent the leading life motives forming the features of human life scenarios, i.e. performing, to a certain degree, the vital functions. As shown in the diagram, each of the eight base attractions can manifest itself in the two different ways and form sixteen subattractions. Therefore, we prefer to submit them to analysis in pairs with each pair being treated as one base attraction.

The first pair represents the attractions to love, or Eros-attractions. They express themselves in personal love and tenderness (felt in respect of an individual person) or fondness for people, humanism. As shown in the diagram, the orientation on personal love is the prevailing feature of all groups, which is, however, is not so pronounced in the group of surrogate mothers. Thus, as regards surrogate mothers, personal love and fondness for people appear more balanced.

The next attraction is associated with the energy and manliness-femininity of people. As regards surrogate mothers, feminine passivity prevails over manly activity. It is of interest to note that the same relationship concerned with this attraction is typical for women who have not given birth to babies yet. The groups of women having 1 or 2 children and mothers of many children display quite the opposite combination with their activity prevailing over their passivity.

The next base attraction reflects the struggle between good and evil in a human being. Good, honesty, decency, altruism are the "Abel" tendencies, while evil, cruelty, envy, jealousy, egoism are the "Cain" tendencies. It is shown by the diagram that as applied to surrogate mothers, the tendency for good prevails slightly. The more significant prevalence of "Abel" tendencies is evident in the group of childless women.

The fourth base requirement is the requirement in public behavior, which can be displayed either in the forms of demonstrativeness, vanity, publicity, or in the forms of shyness, diffidence, liability to fear. The state of these two tendencies is practically balanced in the group of surrogate mothers.

The firth requirement is the requirement in self-restraint, self-control, adapting for reality. It is subdivided into а) the tendency for appropriation, generation of idealized images of people and objects, which can be taken possession of; and b) the tendency for refusing every pleasure, suppressing oneself, depreciating one's requirements of type "I don't need anything." It can be seen that prevailing in all groups is category b), i.e. generation of realistic requirements, a tendency for self-restriction. It's notable that as regards the group of surrogate mothers, the tendency for sacrificing one's idealistic plans and interests is rather pronounced.

The sixth base attraction is expressed by the requirement in self-actualization, the need to assert oneself in this world, be successful. This requirement can assume the following forms: а) conscious struggle for one's success, generation of the ideal of oneself, the state of being obsessed by conflicting desires to "have everything and immediately"; b) unconscious attribution of one's desires, anxieties and methods of behavior to other people (thus, for example, a dishonest person suspects everybody in dishonesty, a liar suggests that all people lie, an envious person believes that everybody should envy him or her, a social climber is sure that the only ambition of all people around is to hold high posts, etc.). The diagram shows that, to a larger extent, the open motivation for success and accomplishment and, to a smaller extent, unconscious attribution of one's claims to other people are the attributes of all groups. As compared to other groups, surrogate mothers show a moderate intensity of this attraction.

The seventh base attraction is characterized by the requirement in search, acquisition and attachment. This attraction expresses itself in the following forms: а) the tendency for acquisition and change-making; b) the tendency for maintenance of steadiness, the state of inertia. In cases where the change-making requirement prevails people are more progressive and radical, they are more ready to change their social environment (make new acquaintances, friends), property, profession. If the other requirement prevails, people appear to be more conservative, cautious, they have their heart set on the desire to prevent everything they have (people, things, habits and abilities, manner of behavior) from being lost. Such people can be described as "keepers of traditions." The results of our comparative study show that the second form of this attraction, i.e. the tendency for preserving things in their possession, prevails in all groups of women. This tendency is more pronounced in the group of surrogate mothers than in other groups.

As a matter of fact, such distribution of above-mentioned psychological distinctive features is quite logical, considering the social, economic and political conditions that have existed in our country during the last 15-17 years. A high degree of stability, reliability and predictability has not been the feature of our life since long time ago, and, hence, the requirement in steadiness and invariability is, in essence, adaptive under the current conditions. People who live in the problem-free USA or developed European countries and have complete confidence in their everlasting welfare and prosperity may look forward to every possible change and not be afraid of certain losses. The stability requirement displayed by surrogate mothers is more pronounced owing to hardships they may experience in their life. They often find themselves in a state of divorce, with small children "in their arms", experience living problems, live in rural areas or district centers. Hence, any drastic changes that may happen to them would be still more unsafe. It's essential to them not to lose at least what they have.

The last base attraction is traced to the need for attachment to, or breaking-off relations with certain people of importance. These are the two forms assumed by the base attraction: either steady attachment to the objects of love (parents, children, a partner), or, to the contrary, the tendency for changing the existing relationship, the need to break off any, most frequently destructive or exhausted social relations.

The first tendency that prevails in all groups can be seen in the diagram. This is the tendency for attachment, maintenance of relations, which is displayed most expressly in the group of surrogate mothers as the most urgent requirement expressed by surrogate mothers themselves and the highest peak of the entire diagram. This tendency is also the strongest one, as compared to other groups. That is, it is up to its maximum both in respect of the absolute and relative value.

Such a situation can be explained by analogy and preceding attraction to making changes and maintenance (as a matter of fact, both attractions belong to the common group of contact attractions). The existence of attachment to people of importance represents the vital, sense-generating condition for surrogate mothers, enabling them to "stay afloat", feel the meaning and the reason of their lives and cherish hopes for the better in a rather bleak situation they were driven in by life. As they raise their little children and get ready for carrying another, more intricate surrogate pregnancy, surrogate mothers treasure their affection towards their family and friends, and, what is the most important, are prepared to fight through any serious trouble in order to be able to breach a vicious circle of hopelessness, overcrowding and an inadequate education level, strive for a better life for themselves and their children.

Considering the above, one automatically makes the conclusion below. It is shown by the impartial and detail comparative analysis of the women getting ready to carry babies for infertile couples that, on the one hand, they are just like other Ukrainian young women belonging to the same age category, having their own accomplishments and problems, joys and difficulties. The only difference is that they, due to their adequate fertility (reproductive performance) that was granted to them either by nature or God, have made a decision to resolve their rather intricate life situation (a low material level, living and family problems) in their own way, i.e. by helping children – their own children and those still to be born.

The article was prepared by:

Viktoriya Chuprinova, Director of Surrogate Motherhood Center

Viktoriya Tsokota, Bachelor of Psychology, Psychologist at Association of Mothers of Many Children (Large Families) "AMMA", Kiev district, Kharkov

Yelena Lutsenko, Candidate of Psychology, Psychologist at Surrogate Motherhood Center