# Fear of abandonment linked to more children

> People fearing abandonment may have more children, study shows.
- Title: Fear of abandonment linked to more children · Psychologies
- Summary: People fearing abandonment may have more children, study shows. A study found people with insecure attachment styles have slightly more children than secure…
- Keywords: attachment style, insecure attachment, secure attachment, family size, japan, canada, united states, Psychologies
- Source: Psychologies — https://psychologies.com/famille/enfants/Selon-une-etude-les-personnes-qui-ont-peur-detre-abandonnees-auraient-tendance-a-avoir-plus-denfants-633073
- Author: Guillaume Servant
- Published: 2026-11-03T21:06:34+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: attachment style, insecure attachment, secure attachment, family size, japan, canada, united states
## Study finds link between fear of abandonment and family size
A study published in the International Journal of Psychology found people with insecure attachment styles had slightly more children on average than those with secure styles.

> Essentiellement, les styles d'attachement habituellement qualifiés d'insécurés (c'est-à-dire craintif et préoccupé) étaient liés au fait d'avoir plus d'enfants
## Cultural differences in family size patterns
In Canada and the US, secure attachment linked to smaller families, but in Japan, insecure styles correlated with more children.

> Au Japon, ce lien n'apparaît pas, alors que le style craintif reste corrélé à davantage d'enfants
## Researchers surveyed 15,120 adults across three countries
Researchers analyzed responses from 15,120 adults across Japan, Canada, and the US, with five age groups from 20 to over 60 years.

> 15 120 adultes, soit 5 040 par pays
## Gender differences in attachment styles
In North America, women showed more anxious styles while men were more avoidant; in Japan, women combined secure, anxious, and avoidant styles.

> Les femmes combinent davantage styles sécurés, préoccupés et distants, les hommes restant surtout craintifs
## Cultural influence on family size decisions
Cultural norms shape how attachment styles affect family size, with Japan showing different patterns than North America.

> Je dois l'admettre, la divergence observée au Japon était intéressante et montre vraiment à quel point les normes culturelles autour de la famille sont influentes
## Key takeaway

A study found people with insecure attachment styles have slightly more children than secure ones, with cultural differences in results.