• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.479-499
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• 2020

The present study explored psychological factors related to the desire to have children of young adults who had yet to marry and begin a family. To do so, the present study investigated the relationships among the desire to have children, adult attachment styles and belief in a just world (DJ-self, PJ-self, DJ-others, and PJ-others). This study analyzed the self-reported data of 260 adults aged 20 to 39. Hierarchical regression analysis revealed that after controlling for gender, individuals with more avoidant models of close adult relationships showed less desire to have children. Moreover, the belief in a just world accounted for an additional variance. Specifically, participants' PJ-others positively predicted their desire to have children. These results suggest that individuals' expectations about close relationships and justice of their society might explain a part of their desire to have children. The implications, limitations, and future directions of the study were discussed.