Unfit by Accident: Third-Party Perception of Parental Fitness Based on Childbearing Intention

Prior research has examined the impact of unintended birth on parent and child welfare. The present studies examine another potential consequence: namely, how third-party observers react to information about parenthood intention. We examine whether the act of having intended (or not) to become a parent affects people’s impressions of (1) what type of caregiver the (un)intended parent will be, (2) the type of relationship the (un)intended parent will have with the child, and (3) potential outcomes for that family. Studies 1 and 2 demonstrate that people award less custody to accidental mothers and fathers because lack of intention during birth is perceived as decreasing parental quality and closeness between parent and child. Study 3 tests potential moderators of this effect including parenthood status and controllability, highlighting the potential negative consequences of this phenomenon for families in child custody disputes where third-party judgments are especially likely to bear weight.