Childbirth as crisis: a test of Janis's theory of communication and stress resolution.

The relationship between expectation and subjective outcome in childbirth was investigated. Sixty primigravidae responded to a questionnaire before and after labor and delivery. The evaluation of childbirth as favorable or unfavorable was related to whether the experience was rated better or worse than expectation. Anticipation of labor and delivery was positively related to a woman's perception of her mother's experience in childbirth, but was not related to the woman's evaluation of her actual delivery experience. Women receiving extreme communications or no information from their mother reported poorer outcomes than women who received moderate communications. Anxiety, as measured by the Taylor Manifest Anxiety Scale, and denial, as measured by the Self-Criticism Scale of the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale, were not related to anticipation or subjective outcome measures. Results were interpreted within Janis's theory of psychological stress.