Mindset, Partner Relationship, and Childbirth

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Rainer Banse
• Subject Area: Social Psychology, Industrial and Organisational Psychology
• Term: from 2015 to 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 284154510

Psychological research on childbirth is rare. Research from other scientific fields such as gynecology or midwifery highlight the importance of psychological factors in childbirth. The research, however, is often lacking methodological rigor. In this project we propose the construct of a birthrelated mindset that aims to replicate and expand existing research. We showed in a first study that an either natural or medicalized mindset-orientation was associated with different aspects of labor and birth (e.g. place of birth and cesarean section). The aim of this project is to determine the formation of the mindset e.g. through gynecologists, midwives, and partners. We further want to investigate whether the birth-related mindset causally determines labor and birth and what psychological outcomes result from the birthing process. We will use direct and indirect measures, and the Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA; Stone & Shiffmann, 1994) for data collection. Study outcomes can potentially be used for the development of preventive measures for changing obstructive mindsets.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Co-Investigators: Professorin Dr. Beate Ditzen; Lisa Hoffmann