Personal profile
Research interests
I am a quantitative family sociologist at the Sociology department of Tilburg University. Broadly, my work can be described as trying to understand how people ‘do’ family. For example, I have examined who is likely to make different family-related transitions (enter a partnership, separate, repartner, have a child), how these transitions are related to individual well-being and the strength of intergenerational ties, and how people interact within partnerships. I am also particularly interested in the gendered ramifications of family complexity (i.e., the unique role and experiences of stepmothers).
Current courses
Click here for my courses.
Education/Academic qualification
Sociology, PhD, From parents to partners: The impact of family on romantic relationships in adolescence and emerging adulthood, University of Groningen
1 Sept 2007 → 5 Mar 2012
Award Date: 5 Mar 2012
Psychology, Master’s Degree, Quality of Peer Relationships and its Impact on the Psychosocial Adjustments of Adolescents with Same-Sex Attractions (SSA), Utrecht University
1 Sept 2005 → 25 May 2007
Award Date: 25 May 2007
Psychology, Bachelor’s Degree, Major: Psychology, Minor: Politics, Mount Holyoke College
1 Sept 2001 → 25 May 2005
Award Date: 25 Sept 2005
Keywords
- Family Sociology
- Intergenerational Solidarity
- Well-Being
- Family Complexity
- Stepfamilies
- Gender
- Stepmothers
- Stepparents
- Parents
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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SDG 1 No Poverty -
SDG 5 Gender Equality -
SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth
Fingerprint
- 1 Similar Profiles
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big five personality traits and trajectories of fertility expectations across the reproductive age period
Ozoruc, I., Vermunt, J., Ivanova, K. & van Scheppingen, M., 10 Sept 2025, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Journal of Personality. 16 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review
Open Access -
Changes in psychological well-being across the transition to motherhood: Combining longitudinal and experience sampling methods
Tran, C. B., Ivanova, K., Stavrova, O. & Reitz, A. K., 18 Sept 2025, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review
Open AccessFile3 Downloads (Pure) -
Do environmentalists forgo parenthood? A life course perspective on fertility intentions and behaviours in the UK
Ivanova, K. & Rüttenauer, T., 21 Aug 2025, OSF Preprints, 33 p.Research output: Working paper › Other research output
Open Access -
Re-partnering across the life course
Ivanova, K., 29 Apr 2025, Research handbook on partnering across the life course. Mortelmans, D., Bernardi, L. & Perelli-Harris, B. (eds.). Elgar, p. 153-164 12 p.Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › Scientific › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
Societal pessimism and the transition to parenthood: A future too bleak to have children?
Ivanova, K. & Balbo, N., 2024, In: Population and Development Review. 50, 2, p. 323-342 20 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review
Open AccessFile2 Link opens in a new tab Citations (Scopus)206 Downloads (Pure)
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The end of babies? A mixed-methods study of narratives about the future, societal pessimism, and voluntary childlessness among Dutch adults
Ivanova, K. (Principal Investigator), Young, E. (Co-Investigator) & Cammu, N. (Researcher)
1/03/24 → 31/10/27
Project: Research project
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The transition to parenthood as a critical developmental milestone: Unravelling the sources of individual variability in hedonic and eudemonic well-being
Stavrova, O. (Principal Investigator), Reitz, A. (Principal Investigator) & Ivanova, K. (Principal Investigator)
Project: Research project