[trophycase]

I kind of have a hard time believing this. Especially since the causation could run the other way. Declining birth rates are probably due to a lot of factors, the biggest being use of birth control, discouraging women from having children, societal attacks on traditional gender roles, obesity, lower testosterone/sperm levels in men due to lack of exercise/chemical pollutants/cultural factors.

I'd be very interested to see this research. I have a hard time believing that anything positive will be done about the birth rate if this is what they are teaching at a masters level.

I also think the cost of having children is completely overblown, people just simply aren't willing to make the sacrifices.