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Abstract
Fathers have been an important source of child endurance and prosperity since the dawn of civilization, promoting adaptation to social rules, defining cultural meaning systems, teaching daily living skills, and providing the material background against which children developed; still, the recent reformulation in the role of the father requires theory-building. Paternal caregiving is rare in mammals, occurring in 3-5% of species, expresses in multiple formats, and involves flexible neurobiological accommodations to ecological conditions and active caregiving. Here, we discuss father contribution to resilience across development. Our model proposes three tenets of resilience - plasticity, sociality, and meaning - and discussion focuses on father-specific contributions to each tenet at different developmental stages; newborn, infant, preschooler, child, and adolescent. Father's style of high arousal, energetic physicality, guided participation in daily skills, joint adventure, and conflict resolution promotes children's flexible approach and social competence within intimate bonds and social groups. By expanding children's interests, sharpening cognitions, tuning affect regulation, encouraging exploration, and accompanying the search for identity, fathers support the sense of meaning, enhancing the human-specific dimension of resilience. We end by highlighting pitfalls to paternal contribution, including absence, abuse, rigidity, expectations, and gender typing, and the need to formulate novel theories to accommodate the "involved dad."
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth Feldman
- Center for Developmental Social Neuroscience, Reichman University,Israel
- Yale Child Study Center, New Haven, USA
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2
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Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ, Verhees MWFT, Lotz AM, Alyousefi-van Dijk K, van IJzendoorn MH. Is paternal oxytocin an oxymoron? Oxytocin, vasopressin, testosterone, oestradiol and cortisol in emerging fatherhood. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210060. [PMID: 35858109 PMCID: PMC9272151 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
How do hormonal levels in men change from pregnancy to after the birth of their firstborn child, and what is the role of oxytocin, alone or in interplay with other hormones, in explaining variance in their parenting quality? We explored in 73 first-time fathers the development of five hormones that have been suggested to play a role in parenting: oxytocin (OT), vasopressin (AVP), testosterone (T), oestradiol (E2) and cortisol (Cort). In an extended group of fathers (N = 152) we examined associations with fathers’ behaviour with their 2-month-old infants. OT and E2 showed stability from the prenatal to the postnatal assessments, whereas AVP and T decreased significantly, and Cort decreased marginally. OT on its own or in interplay with other hormones was not related to paternal sensitivity. Using an exploratory approach, the interaction between T and E2 emerged as relevant for fathers’ sensitive parenting. Among fathers with high E2, high T was associated with lower sensitivity. Although we did not find evidence for the importance of OT as stand-alone hormone or in interplay with other hormones in this important phase in men's lives, the interaction between T and E2 in explaining variation in paternal behaviour is a promising hypothesis for further research. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Interplays between oxytocin and other neuromodulators in shaping complex social behaviours’.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marian J. Bakermans-Kranenburg
- Department of Clinical Child and Family Studies, and Amsterdam Public Health, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1085 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Leiden Consortium on Individual Development, 2300 RB, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Martine W. F. T. Verhees
- Department of Clinical Child and Family Studies, and Amsterdam Public Health, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1085 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Quantitative Psychology and Individual Differences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Anna M. Lotz
- Department of Clinical Child and Family Studies, and Amsterdam Public Health, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1085 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Kim Alyousefi-van Dijk
- Department of Clinical Child and Family Studies, and Amsterdam Public Health, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1085 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marinus H. van IJzendoorn
- Leiden Consortium on Individual Development, 2300 RB, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, Faculty of Brain Sciences, UCL, University of London, London W1T 7NF, UK
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3
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Lotz AM, Buisman RSM, Alyousefi-van Dijk K, Witte AM, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ, Verhees MWFT. Exploring the role of endocrine factors in sensitive parenting in men. Horm Behav 2022; 140:105118. [PMID: 35121300 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Revised: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Parental sensitivity has been studied extensively in parenting research. Recently, there has been increasing attention to endocrine factors that may be related to parental sensitivity, such as oxytocin, vasopressin, testosterone, and cortisol. Although hormones do not act in isolation, few studies integrated multiple hormones and examined their combined associations with parental sensitivity. The current study aimed to explore the hormonal correlates of paternal sensitivity by examining in 79 first-time fathers of young infants (2-4 months old) (1) the separate and combined associations of basal oxytocin, vasopressin, testosterone, and cortisol levels with sensitivity, and (2) the associations between paternal sensitivity and oxytocin, vasopressin, testosterone, and cortisol reactivity following father-infant interactions. We additionally explored whether interactions between the various basal hormone levels could predict paternal sensitivity. Saliva for the quantification of fathers' hormone levels was sampled before and after an interaction with their infant to determine basal levels and reactivity. Results revealed no significant associations between sensitivity and basal hormone levels or reactivity. However, results indicated that cortisol and testosterone interacted in their effects on paternal sensitive parenting. Namely, fathers with low basal cortisol levels showed more sensitivity with increasing T levels, but fathers with high cortisol levels were less sensitive with increasing T levels. However, it should be noted that the latter slope was not significantly different from zero. These findings suggest that variations in parental sensitivity might be better explained by interactions between hormones than by single hormone levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- A M Lotz
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands; Institute of Education and Child Studies, Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Leiden University, the Netherlands.
| | - R S M Buisman
- Forensic Family and Youth Care Studies, Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Leiden University, the Netherlands
| | - K Alyousefi-van Dijk
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - A M Witte
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - M J Bakermans-Kranenburg
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - M W F T Verhees
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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4
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Bos PA, Lesemann FHP, Spencer H, Stein DJ, van Honk J, Montoya ER. Preliminary data on increased reactivity towards children in distress after testosterone administration in women: A matter of protection? Biol Psychol 2021; 165:108176. [PMID: 34474128 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2021.108176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Emotional reactivity to others' distress is a vital prerequisite for a caring response. Testosterone, in contrast, is mostly associated with protection of personal dominance and decreased responsiveness to others' needs. However, experimental work also indicates that rising testosterone levels in response to infant distress can potentially facilitate protection. We assessed the impact of testosterone administration on participants' emotional reactivity to infants in distress, measuring their facial responses on the corrugator supercilii forehead muscle ('frowning') and the zygomaticus major ('smiling') as an index of emotional responses towards children. Moreover, we probed whether the effect of testosterone is moderated by participants' self-reported nurturance and protective tendencies. Our preliminary results showed that testosterone not only increased emotional reactivity to empathy eliciting images of children, but that this increase was strongest in participants with strong protective tendencies. Our administration study is the first to link testosterone to infant protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter A Bos
- Institute of Education and Child Studies, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK, Leiden, the Netherlands; Department of Experimental Psychology, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584 CS, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
| | - Franca H Parianen Lesemann
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584 CS, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Hannah Spencer
- Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, PO Box 15780, 1001 NG, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Dan J Stein
- SA MRC Unit on Risk & Resilience in Mental Disorders, Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, J-Block Groote Schuur Hospital Observatory, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Jack van Honk
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584 CS, Utrecht, the Netherlands; SA MRC Unit on Risk & Resilience in Mental Disorders, Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, J-Block Groote Schuur Hospital Observatory, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Estrella R Montoya
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584 CS, Utrecht, the Netherlands
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5
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Ahnert L, Deichmann F, Bauer M, Supper B, Piskernik B. Fathering behavior, attachment, and engagement in childcare predict testosterone and cortisol. Dev Psychobiol 2021; 63:e22149. [PMID: 34173236 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Revised: 05/01/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
The present study examined testosterone (T) and cortisol (Cort) in fathers engaged with caregiving. We collected saliva samples in the mornings and evenings of two consecutive days in 150 fathers of 1- to 5-year-old children. Fathers completed questionnaires on socioeconomic status, family structure and life, sleep characteristics and body mass index (BMI), and reported on their engagement in childcare. Fathers used smartphone-based experience sampling throughout 1 week to sample ongoing activities with their children, including times of supervision, joint play, rough-and-tumble play, and cuddling episodes. External observers rated father-child attachment during a home visit. We began by testing for widely characterized covariates of T and excluded seasonal variations and known predictors associated with lowered T, such as older fathers and those with multiple and young children, lower BMI, shorter sleep duration, and sexual activity before sampling. Most interestingly, however, fathers' engagement in childcare and attachment to the child appeared more pronounced the greater the diurnal decline in T. Cuddling predicted a similar negative association, whereas joint play and rough-and-tumble play (RTP) showed enhancing effects on declining T. Interestingly, all fathering behaviors (except RTP) were positively related to lower Cort. In contrast, supervision was ineffective on both Cort and T.
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6
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Löwenbrück F, Hess U. Not all "caregivers" are created equal: Liking, caring and facial expression responses to the baby schema as a function of parenthood and testosterone. Biol Psychol 2021; 163:108120. [PMID: 34044066 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2021.108120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Revised: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The baby schema elicits care from potential caregivers. However, much of the research on the baby schema is based on self-report only. To address this issue, we explored the effects of baby schema and child age on facial expressions (EMG) and eye-blink startle, in addition to self-reported liking and caring for 43 men and 48 women (39 parents). Further, basal testosterone was assessed. All groups responded with liking and caring to high baby schema, but only women also responded with more positive facial expressions. Caring and smiling towards infants compared to first graders depended on parenthood and testosterone levels. Basal testosterone levels were negatively associated with overall responsiveness to children in women and fathers, but positively in non-fathers. Whereas the baby schema overall lead to positive affect and caring, the scope of these responses and the processes underlying them depended on gender, parenthood and hormonal status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Löwenbrück
- Humboldt University Berlin, Department of Psychology, Unter den Linden 6, 10099 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Ursula Hess
- Humboldt University Berlin, Department of Psychology, Unter den Linden 6, 10099 Berlin, Germany.
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7
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Gettler LT, Kuo PX, Sarma MS, Trumble BC, Burke Lefever JE, Braungart-Rieker JM. Fathers' oxytocin responses to first holding their newborns: Interactions with testosterone reactivity to predict later parenting behavior and father-infant bonds. Dev Psychobiol 2021; 63:1384-1398. [PMID: 33860940 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Revised: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Little is known about human fathers' physiology near infants' births. This may represent a period during which paternal psychobiological axes are sensitive to fathers' new experiences of interacting with their newborns and that can provide insights on how individual differences in fathers' biology relate to post-partum parenting. Drawing on a sample of men in South Bend, IN (U.S.), we report results from a longitudinal study of fathers' oxytocin, cortisol, and testosterone (N = 211) responses to their first holding of their infants on the day of birth and men's reported caregiving and father-infant bonding at 2-4 months post-partum (N = 114). First-time fathers' oxytocin was higher following first holding of their newborns, compared to their pre-holding levels. Contrasting with prior results, fathers' percentage change in oxytocin did not differ based on skin-to-skin or standard holding. Drawing on psychobiological frameworks, we modeled the interactions for oxytocin reactivity with testosterone and cortisol reactivity, respectively, in predicting father-infant outcomes months later. We found significant cross-over interactions for (oxytocin × testosterone) in predicting fathers' later post-partum involvement and bonding. Specifically, we found that fathers whose testosterone declined during holding reported greater post-partum play if their oxytocin increased, compared to fathers who experienced increases in both hormones. We also observed a similar non-significant interaction for (oxytocin × cortisol) in predicting fathers' post-partum play. Fathers whose testosterone declined during holding also reported less involvement in direct caregiving and lower father-infant bonding if their oxytocin decreased but greater direct care and bonding if their testosterone increased and oxytocin decreased. The results inform our understanding of the developmental time course of men's physiological responsiveness to father-infant interaction and its relevance to later fathering behavior and family relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lee T Gettler
- Department of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA.,Eck Institute for Global Health, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA.,William J. Shaw Center for Children and Families, University of Notre Dame, South Bend, IN, USA
| | - Patty X Kuo
- Department of Child, Youth and Family Studies, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - Mallika S Sarma
- Department of Otolaryngology, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Benjamin C Trumble
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.,Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | | | - Julia M Braungart-Rieker
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
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8
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Rincon AV, Heistermann M, Schülke O, Ostner J. Testosterone and cortisol are negatively associated with ritualized bonding behavior in male macaques. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2020; 120:104774. [PMID: 32574857 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.104774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2019] [Revised: 06/04/2020] [Accepted: 06/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Neuroendocrine research on the formation of social bonds has primarily focused on the role of nonapeptides. However, steroid hormones often act simultaneously to either inhibit or facilitate bonding. Testosterone is proposed to mediate a trade-off between male mating effort and nurturing behavior; therefore, low levels are predicted during periods of nurturing infant care and social bonding. In species where social bonding and support regulates hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity, we also expect glucocorticoid levels to be low during bonding periods. We investigated how immunoreactive urinary testosterone (iuT) and cortisol (iuC) were related to triadic male-infant-male interactions - a ritualized male bonding behavior - as well as infant care in male Barbary macaques (Macaca sylvanus). We collected >3000 h of behavioral observation data during full-day focal animal follows from 14 adult males and quantified iuT and iuC from 650 urine samples. iuT was negatively correlated with rates of triadic interactions within subjects, but positively correlated between subjects. iuC was negatively correlated with triadic interactions both within and between subjects. Time spent caring for infants was positively correlated to both iuT and iuC within subjects, but not between subjects. The observed negative relationship between iuT and triadic interactions within subjects may be beneficial to lower competitive tendencies between adult males and to not inhibit bond formation. However, the positive correlation of iuT with triadic interactions between subjects was unexpected. We speculate that it could be due to a link between triadic interactions and coalition formation. A negative relationship between triadic interactions and iuC could reflect increased bonding and perceived social support as triadic interactions predict future coalition formation in this species, or reflect buffered tensions between males. The positive relationship of iuT and iuC with infant care suggests that the handling of infants may be less nurturing but rather protective or competitive in this species. Measuring steroid hormones in relation to bonding and nurturing can help us interpret behaviors within the ecological contexts that they occur.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan V Rincon
- Department of Behavioral Ecology, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute for Zoology and Anthropology, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany; Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Goettingen, Germany.
| | - Michael Heistermann
- Endocrinology Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Oliver Schülke
- Department of Behavioral Ecology, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute for Zoology and Anthropology, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany; Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Goettingen, Germany; Research Group Social Evolution in Primates, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Julia Ostner
- Department of Behavioral Ecology, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute for Zoology and Anthropology, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany; Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Goettingen, Germany; Research Group Social Evolution in Primates, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany
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9
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Storey AE, Alloway H, Walsh CJ. Dads: Progress in understanding the neuroendocrine basis of human fathering behavior. Horm Behav 2020; 119:104660. [PMID: 31883946 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.104660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2019] [Revised: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 12/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
We outline the progress on the hormonal basis of human paternal behavior during the past twenty years. Advances in understanding the roles of testosterone, prolactin, oxytocin and vasopressin in fathering behavior are described, along with recent research on hormonal interactions, such as those between testosterone and cortisol, and testosterone and the peptide hormones. In addition, we briefly describe the recent leaps forward in elucidating the neurobiological and neuroendocrine basis of fatherhood, made possible by fMRI technology. Emerging from this literature is a developing and complicated story about fatherhood, highlighting the need to further understand the interplay between behavior, physiology, social context, and individual genetic variation. Given the changing roles of parents in many societies, the continued growth of this research area will provide a strong empirical knowledge base about paternal behavior on which to create policies promoting fathers' involvement in their infants' lives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne E Storey
- Department of Psychology, Memorial University, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador A1B 3X9, Canada.
| | - Hayley Alloway
- Cognitive and Behavioural Ecology Graduate Program, Memorial University, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador A1B 3X9, Canada
| | - Carolyn J Walsh
- Department of Psychology, Memorial University, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador A1B 3X9, Canada
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10
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Bakermans‐Kranenburg MJ, Lotz A, Alyousefi‐van Dijk K, van IJzendoorn M. Birth of a Father: Fathering in the First 1,000 Days. CHILD DEVELOPMENT PERSPECTIVES 2019; 13:247-253. [PMID: 31894183 PMCID: PMC6919930 DOI: 10.1111/cdep.12347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
As a result of societal changes, fathers participate more actively in child care than they used to. In this article, we propose a context-dependent biobehavioral model of emergent fatherhood in which sociocultural, behavioral, hormonal, and neural factors develop and interact during the first 1,000 days of fatherhood. Sociocultural factors, including different expectations of fathers and varying opportunities for paternal caregiving through paid paternal leave, influence paternal involvement. Levels of hormones (e.g., testosterone, vasopressin, oxytocin, cortisol) predict fathers' parenting behaviors, and involvement in caregiving in turn affects their hormones and brain responses to infant stimuli. The birth of the first child marks the transition to fatherhood and may be a critical period in men's lives, with a smoother transition to fatherhood predicting more optimal involvement by fathers in subsequent years. A focus on prenatal and early postnatal fathering may pave the way for developing interventions that effectively support fathering during pregnancy and in the first years of their children's lives.
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11
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Meijer WM, van IJzendoorn MH, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ. Challenging the challenge hypothesis on testosterone in fathers: Limited meta-analytic support. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2019; 110:104435. [PMID: 31541914 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.104435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2019] [Revised: 09/04/2019] [Accepted: 09/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
In fathers testosterone levels are suggested to decrease in the context of caregiving, but results seem inconsistent. In a meta-analysis including 50 study outcomes with N = 7,080 male participants we distinguished three domains of research, relating testosterone levels to parental status (Hedges' g = 0.22, 95% CI: 0.09 to 0.35; N = 4,150), parenting quality (Hedges' g = 0.14, 95% CI: 0.03 to 0.24; N = 2,164), and reactivity after exposure to child stimuli (Hedges' g = 0.19, 95% CI: -0.03 to 0.42; N = 766). The sets of study outcomes on reactivity and on parenting quality were both homogeneous. Parental status and (higher) parenting quality were related to lower levels of testosterone, but according to conventional criteria combined effect sizes were small. Moderators did not significantly modify combined effect sizes. Results suggest that publication bias might have inflated the meta-analytic results, and the large effects of pioneering but small and underpowered studies in the domains of males' parental status and parenting quality have not been consistently replicated. Large studies with sufficient statistical power to detect small testosterone effects and, in particular, the moderating effects of the interplay with other endocrine systems and with contextual determinants are required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Willemijn M Meijer
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Marinus H van IJzendoorn
- Department of Psychology, Education, and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, UK
| | - Marian J Bakermans-Kranenburg
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.
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12
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de Vries EE, van der Pol LD, Vermeer HJ, Groeneveld MG, Fiers T, Mesman J. Testosterone and Fathers’ Parenting Unraveled: Links with the Quantity and Quality of Father-Child Interactions. ADAPTIVE HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND PHYSIOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s40750-019-00118-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Objective
Individual differences in quality of father involvement in caregiving might in part be explained by fathers’ testosterone (T) levels. We examined the links between fathers’ (n = 32) salivary T levels, amount of time spent with their child (12–30 months of age), type of father-child interaction, and fathers’ sensitivity.
Methods
During two home visits, video observations of father-child interactions were conducted to measure fathers’ sensitivity during a challenging and harmonious interaction. Fathers’ saliva was collected several times throughout the day on a working day and on the home visit days, including right before and after each father-child interaction.
Results
Fathers’ T secretion throughout the day was lower on home visit days (i.e., days with a higher amount of time spent with their child) than on a working day. For both challenging and harmonious father-child interactions, mean T levels did not differ before and after father-child interactions. However, individual changes in fathers’ T levels during the father-child interactions did predict fathers’ sensitivity. Specifically, the more T increased during the challenging interaction, or decreased during the harmonious interaction, the more sensitive the father was during that interaction as well as during a subsequent interaction.
Conclusions
Parenting quality is most optimal when fathers’ T system reacts in the expected direction given the context of the father-child interaction, i.e., a T decrease during a harmonious interaction and a T increase during a challenging interaction. Our study underscores the importance of examining the interplay between biology, behavior, and caregiving context in fathers’ parenting.
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13
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Ball HL, Tomori C, McKenna JJ. Toward an Integrated Anthropology of Infant Sleep. AMERICAN ANTHROPOLOGIST 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/aman.13284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Helen L. Ball
- Director, Parent–Infant Sleep LabDepartment of Anthropology, Durham University Durham DH1 3LE UK
| | - Cecilia Tomori
- Assistant Professor, Parent–Infant Sleep LabDepartment of Anthropology, Durham University Durham DH1 3LE UK
| | - James J. McKenna
- Director, Mother–Baby Sleep Lab, Department of AnthropologyUniversity of Notre Dame South Bend Indiana USA
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14
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Edelstein RS, Chin K, Saini EK, Kuo PX, Schultheiss OC, Volling BL. Adult attachment and testosterone reactivity: Fathers' avoidance predicts changes in testosterone during the strange situation procedure. Horm Behav 2019; 112:10-19. [PMID: 30879994 PMCID: PMC7328342 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2018] [Revised: 01/11/2019] [Accepted: 01/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
We assessed parents' testosterone reactivity to the Strange Situation Procedure (SSP), a moderately stressful parent-infant interaction task that pulls for parental nurturance and caregiving behavior. Parents (146 mothers, 154 fathers) interacted with their 1-year-old infants, and saliva samples were obtained pre- and post-task to assess changes in testosterone. We examined whether testosterone reactivity differed between mothers and fathers, the extent to which parents' characteristic approaches to closeness (i.e., adult attachment orientation) contributed to testosterone changes, and whether any influences of adult attachment orientation were independent of more general personality characteristics (i.e., the Big Five personality dimensions). Results revealed that mothers and fathers showed comparable declines in testosterone during the SSP, and that these declines were attenuated among fathers with a more avoidant attachment orientation (i.e., those less comfortable with closeness). Associations between fathers' avoidance and testosterone reactivity were statistically independent of broader personality traits. Our findings provide some of the first evidence for short-term changes in both mothers' and fathers' testosterone in contexts that pull for nurturance. Moreover, these findings demonstrate that individual differences in adult attachment may play an important role in understanding such changes. We discuss possible explanations for gender differences in associations between adult attachment and parents' testosterone reactivity, and the extent to which testosterone reactivity might be sensitive to changes in context for mothers versus fathers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin S Edelstein
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America.
| | - Kristi Chin
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
| | - Ekjyot K Saini
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States of America
| | - Patty X Kuo
- Department of Psychology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, United States of America
| | | | - Brenda L Volling
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
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Kuo PX, Braungart-Rieker JM, Burke Lefever JE, Sarma MS, O'Neill M, Gettler LT. Fathers' cortisol and testosterone in the days around infants' births predict later paternal involvement. Horm Behav 2018; 106:28-34. [PMID: 30165061 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2018.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2018] [Revised: 08/21/2018] [Accepted: 08/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Human paternal behavior is multidimensional, and extant research has yet to delineate how hormone patterns may be related to different dimensions of fathering. Further, although studies vary in their measurement of hormones (i.e., basal or reactivity), it remains unclear whether basal and/or reactivity measures are predictive of different aspects of men's parenting. We examined whether men's testosterone and cortisol predicted fathers' involvement in childcare and play with infants and whether fathers' testosterone and cortisol changed during fathers' first interaction with their newborn. Participants were 298 fathers whose partners gave birth in a UNICEF-designated "baby-friendly" hospital, which encourages fathers to hold their newborns 1 h after birth, after mothers engage in skin-to-skin holding. Salivary testosterone and cortisol were measured before and after fathers' first holding of their newborns. Basal and short-term changes in cortisol and testosterone were analyzed. Fathers were contacted 2-4 months following discharge to complete questionnaires about childcare involvement. Fathers' cortisol decreased during the time they held their newborns on the birthing unit. Fathers' basal testosterone in the immediate postnatal period predicted their greater involvement in childcare. Both basal and reactivity cortisol predicted fathers' greater involvement in childcare and play. Results suggest that reduced basal testosterone is linked with enhanced paternal indirect and direct parenting effort months later, and that higher basal cortisol and increases in cortisol in response to newborn interaction are predictive of greater paternal involvement in childcare and play, also months later. Findings are discussed in the context of predominating theoretical models on parental neuroendocrinology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patty X Kuo
- Department of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, United States of America; William J. Shaw Center for Children and Families, University of Notre Dame, South Bend, IN 46635, United States of America.
| | - Julia M Braungart-Rieker
- William J. Shaw Center for Children and Families, University of Notre Dame, South Bend, IN 46635, United States of America; Department of Psychology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, United States of America
| | - Jennifer E Burke Lefever
- William J. Shaw Center for Children and Families, University of Notre Dame, South Bend, IN 46635, United States of America
| | - Mallika S Sarma
- Department of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, United States of America
| | - Molly O'Neill
- Department of Psychology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, United States of America
| | - Lee T Gettler
- Department of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, United States of America; William J. Shaw Center for Children and Families, University of Notre Dame, South Bend, IN 46635, United States of America; The Eck Institute of Global Health, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, United States of America.
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Prenatal and postnatal cortisol and testosterone are related to parental caregiving quality in fathers, but not in mothers. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2018; 97:94-103. [PMID: 30015010 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2018] [Revised: 06/22/2018] [Accepted: 07/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Testosterone and cortisol have both been implicated in human parenting behavior. We investigated the relations between observed quality of caregiving during parent-child interactions and pre- and postnatal testosterone and cortisol levels, in both mothers (N = 88) and fathers (N = 57). Testosterone and cortisol were measured before and after interaction with an infant simulator (prenatal) and with their own child (postnatal) to index basal levels as well as steroid reactivity to the interaction. Our findings are that in fathers, interactions between cortisol and testosterone are related to quality of caregiving both pre- and postnatally. Prenatally there was a stronger negative relation between T and quality of caregiving in fathers with lower cortisol levels, and postnatally there was a stronger negative relation between cortisol and quality of caregiving in fathers high in testosterone levels. Furthermore, prenatal cortisol levels were related to paternal quality of caregiving during interaction with their own child. In mothers, no associations between quality of caregiving and our endocrine measures were observed. We interpret our findings in the context of hyperreactive physiological responses observed in parents at risk for insensitive caregiving, and in light of the dual-hormone hypothesis. The current findings contribute to the growing literature on the endocrine antecedents of human caregiving behavior.
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17
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A comparison of testosterone and cortisol levels between gay fathers and non-fathers: A preliminary investigation. Physiol Behav 2018; 193:69-81. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2018.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2017] [Revised: 02/27/2018] [Accepted: 03/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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18
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Tecot SR, Baden AL. Profiling caregivers: Hormonal variation underlying allomaternal care in wild red-bellied lemurs, Eulemur rubriventer. Physiol Behav 2018; 193:135-148. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2017.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2017] [Revised: 12/05/2017] [Accepted: 12/05/2017] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
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Saxbe D, Corner GW, Khaled M, Horton K, Wu B, Khoddam HL. The weight of fatherhood: identifying mechanisms to explain paternal perinatal weight gain. Health Psychol Rev 2018; 12:294-311. [PMID: 29712505 DOI: 10.1080/17437199.2018.1463166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Men appear to gain weight during the transition to parenthood, and fathers are heavier than non-fathers. Paternal perinatal weight gain may set weight trajectories in midlife and have long-term health implications. Since men do not undergo the physical demands of pregnancy and breastfeeding, the specific mechanisms underlying weight gain in new fathers warrant investigation. This review aims to stimulate research on paternal perinatal weight gain by suggesting testable potential mechanisms that (1) show change across the transition to parenthood and (2) play a role in weight and body composition. We identify seven mechanisms, within three categories: behavioural mechanisms (sleep, physical activity, and diet), hormonal mechanisms (testosterone and cortisol), and psychological mechanisms (depression and stress). We also discuss direct effects of partner pregnancy influences (e.g., 'couvade syndrome') on men's body weight. In presenting each mechanism, we discuss how it may be affected by the transition to parenthood, and then review its role in body composition and weight. Next, we describe bidirectional and interactive effects, discuss timing, and present three broad research questions to propel theoretical development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darby Saxbe
- a Department of Psychology , University of Southern California , Los Angeles , CA , USA
| | - Geoffrey W Corner
- a Department of Psychology , University of Southern California , Los Angeles , CA , USA
| | - Mona Khaled
- a Department of Psychology , University of Southern California , Los Angeles , CA , USA
| | - Katelyn Horton
- a Department of Psychology , University of Southern California , Los Angeles , CA , USA
| | - Brian Wu
- b Keck School of Medicine , University of Southern California , Los Angeles , CA , USA
| | - Hannah Lyden Khoddam
- a Department of Psychology , University of Southern California , Los Angeles , CA , USA
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20
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French JA, Cavanaugh J, Mustoe AC, Carp SB, Womack SL. Social Monogamy in Nonhuman Primates: Phylogeny, Phenotype, and Physiology. JOURNAL OF SEX RESEARCH 2018; 55:410-434. [PMID: 28704071 PMCID: PMC6004613 DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2017.1339774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Monogamy as a social system has been both a scientific puzzle and a sociocultural issue for decades. In this review, we examine social monogamy from a comparative perspective with a focus on primates, our closest genetic relatives. We break down monogamy into component elements, including pair-bonding and partner preference, mate guarding or jealousy, social attachment, and biparental care. Our survey of primates shows that not all features are present in species classified as socially monogamous, in the same way that human monogamous relationships may not include all elements-a perspective we refer to as "monogamy à la carte." Our review includes a survey of the neurobiological correlates of social monogamy in primates, exploring unique or common pathways for the elemental components of monogamy. This compilation reveals that the components of monogamy are modulated by a suite of androgenic steroids, glucocorticoid hormones, the nonapeptide hormones oxytocin and vasopressin, and other neurotransmitter systems (e.g., dopamine and opioids). We propose that efforts to understand the biological underpinnings of complex human and animal sociosexual relationships will be well served by exploring individual phenotypic traits, as opposed to pursuing these questions with the assumption that monogamy is a unitary trait or a species-specific characteristic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey A French
- a Department of Psychology and Department of Biology , University of Nebraska Omaha
| | - Jon Cavanaugh
- b Department of Psychology , University of Nebraska Omaha
| | - Aaryn C Mustoe
- b Department of Psychology , University of Nebraska Omaha
| | - Sarah B Carp
- b Department of Psychology , University of Nebraska Omaha
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21
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Thomas AG, Stewart-Williams S. Mating strategy flexibility in the laboratory: Preferences for long- and short-term mating change in response to evolutionarily relevant variables. EVOL HUM BEHAV 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2017.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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22
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Horrell ND, Hickmott PW, Saltzman W. Neural Regulation of Paternal Behavior in Mammals: Sensory, Neuroendocrine, and Experiential Influences on the Paternal Brain. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2018; 43:111-160. [PMID: 30206901 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2018_55] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Across the animal kingdom, parents in many species devote extraordinary effort toward caring for offspring, often risking their lives and exhausting limited resources. Understanding how the brain orchestrates parental care, biasing effort over the many competing demands, is an important topic in social neuroscience. In mammals, maternal care is necessary for offspring survival and is largely mediated by changes in hormones and neuropeptides that fluctuate massively during pregnancy, parturition, and lactation (e.g., progesterone, estradiol, oxytocin, and prolactin). In the relatively small number of mammalian species in which parental care by fathers enhances offspring survival and development, males also undergo endocrine changes concurrent with birth of their offspring, but on a smaller scale than females. Thus, fathers additionally rely on sensory signals from their mates, environment, and/or offspring to orchestrate paternal behavior. Males can engage in a variety of infant-directed behaviors that range from infanticide to avoidance to care; in many species, males can display all three behaviors in their lifetime. The neural plasticity that underlies such stark changes in behavior is not well understood. In this chapter we summarize current data on the neural circuitry that has been proposed to underlie paternal care in mammals, as well as sensory, neuroendocrine, and experiential influences on paternal behavior and on the underlying circuitry. We highlight some of the gaps in our current knowledge of this system and propose future directions that will enable the development of a more comprehensive understanding of the proximate control of parenting by fathers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan D Horrell
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Peter W Hickmott
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Wendy Saltzman
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA.
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA.
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23
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Sundström Poromaa I, Comasco E, Georgakis MK, Skalkidou A. Sex differences in depression during pregnancy and the postpartum period. J Neurosci Res 2017; 95:719-730. [PMID: 27870443 PMCID: PMC5129485 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.23859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2016] [Revised: 07/01/2016] [Accepted: 07/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Women have a lifetime risk of major depression double that of men but only during their reproductive years. This sex difference has been attributed partially to activational effects of female sex steroids and also to the burdens of pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting. Men, in contrast, have a reproductive period difficult to delineate, and research on the mental health of men has rarely considered the effects of fatherhood. However, the couple goes through a number of potentially stressing events during the reproductive period, and both mothers and fathers are at risk of developing peripartum depression. This Review discusses the literature on maternal and paternal depression and the endocrine changes that may predispose a person to depression at this stage of life, with specific focus on the hypothalamus–pituitary axis, oxytocin, and testosterone levels in men. Important findings on sex differences in the neural correlates of maternal and paternal behavior have emerged, highlighting the relevance of the emotional brain in mothers and the sociocognitive brain in fathers and pointing toward the presence of a common parents' brain. Additionally, sex differences in neurogenesis and brain plasticity are described in relation to peripartum depression. © 2016 The Authors. Journal of Neuroscience Research Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Erika Comasco
- Department of Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Marios K Georgakis
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.,Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology, and Medical Statistics, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Alkistis Skalkidou
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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24
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Zilioli S, Bird BM. Functional significance of men's testosterone reactivity to social stimuli. Front Neuroendocrinol 2017; 47:1-18. [PMID: 28676436 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2017.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2017] [Revised: 06/13/2017] [Accepted: 06/26/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Rapid testosterone fluctuations in response to social stimuli are observed across a wide range of species, and the highly conserved nature of these fluctuations suggests an adaptive function. This paper reviews the current literature on testosterone reactivity, primarily in human males, and illustrates how life-history theory provides an adequate theoretical framework to interpret findings. The review is structured around supporting evidence suggesting that situations implicated in mating effort either directly (e.g., interactions with a mate) or indirectly (e.g., intrasexual competition) are generally associated with a brief elevation of testosterone, while situations implicated in parenting effort (e.g., nurturant interactions with offspring) are generally associated with a decline in testosterone. Further, we discuss how these fluctuations in testosterone have been linked to future behaviors, and how situational, motivational, and physiological variables moderate the interplay between social stimuli, testosterone reactivity, and behavior. Supporting the notion that testosterone can play a causal role in modulating behavior in response to social stimuli, we also summarize recent single administration studies examining the effects of testosterone on physiology, neurobiology, and behavior. A conceptual model provides links between supported findings, and hypothesized pathways requiring future testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuele Zilioli
- Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA; Department of Family Medicine and Public Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA.
| | - Brian M Bird
- Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada.
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25
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Clauss NJ, Byrd-Craven J, Kennison SM, Chua KJ. The Roles of Mothers’ Partner Satisfaction and Mother-Infant Communication Duration in Mother-Infant Adrenocortical Attunement. ADAPTIVE HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND PHYSIOLOGY 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s40750-017-0078-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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26
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Testosterone is Associated with Perceived Constraint in Early Fatherhood. ADAPTIVE HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND PHYSIOLOGY 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s40750-017-0077-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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27
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Gray PB, McHale TS, Carré JM. A review of human male field studies of hormones and behavioral reproductive effort. Horm Behav 2017; 91:52-67. [PMID: 27449532 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2016.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2015] [Revised: 05/12/2016] [Accepted: 07/17/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to review field studies of human male hormones and reproductive behavior. We first discuss life history theory and related conceptual considerations. As illustrations, distinctive features of human male life histories such as coalitional aggression, long-term partnering and paternal care are noted, along with their relevance to overall reproductive effort and developmental plasticity. We address broad questions about what constitutes a human male field study of hormones and behavior, including the kinds of hormone and behavioral measures employed in existing studies. Turning to several sections of empirical review, we present and discuss evidence for links between prenatal and juvenile androgens and sexual attraction and aggression. This includes the proposal that adrenal androgens-DHEA and androstenedione-may play functional roles during juvenility as part of a life-stage specific system. We next review studies of adult male testosterone responses to competition, with these studies emphasizing men's involvement in individual and team sports. These studies show that men's testosterone responses differ with respect to variables such as playing home/away, winning/losing, and motivation. Field studies of human male hormones and sexual behavior also focus on testosterone, showing some evidence of patterned changes in men's testosterone to sexual activity. Moreover, life stage-specific changes in male androgens may structure age-related differences in sexual behavior, including decreases in sexual behavior with senescence. We overview the considerable body of research on male testosterone, partnerships and paternal care, noting the variation in social context and refinements in research design. A few field studies provide insight into relationships between partnering and paternal behavior and prolactin, oxytocin, and vasopressin. In the third section of the review, we discuss patterns, limitations and directions for future research. This includes discussion of conceptual and methodological issues future research might consider as well as opportunities for contributions in under-researched male life stages (juvenility, senescence) and hormones (e.g., vasopressin).
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter B Gray
- Department of Anthropology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway, Box 455003, Las Vegas, NV 89154-5003, United States.
| | - Timothy S McHale
- Department of Anthropology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway, Box 455003, Las Vegas, NV 89154-5003, United States
| | - Justin M Carré
- Department of Psychology, Nipissing University, 100 College Drive, North Bay, Ontario P1B 8L7, Canada
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28
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Gangestad SW, Grebe NM. Hormonal systems, human social bonding, and affiliation. Horm Behav 2017; 91:122-135. [PMID: 27530218 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2016.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2016] [Revised: 08/04/2016] [Accepted: 08/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Which hormones are implicated in human social bonding and affiliation? And how does field research speak to this issue? We begin by laying out a broad view of how endocrine hormones in general modulate life history allocations of energy and other resources, and the ways in which their neuromodulatory functions must be understood within a broader conceptualization of how they have been shaped to affect allocations. We then turn to four specific hormones or hormone families that have received much attention: oxytocin, opioids, prolactin, and progesterone. Each plays a role in regulating psychological capacities and propensities that underlie individuals' interactions with important social targets. Yet in no case is it clear exactly what regulatory roles these hormones play. We suggest several directions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven W Gangestad
- Department of Psychology, University of New, Albuquerque, NM 87111, Mexico.
| | - Nicholas M Grebe
- Department of Psychology, University of New, Albuquerque, NM 87111, Mexico
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29
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Gettler LT, Ryan CP, Eisenberg DTA, Rzhetskaya M, Hayes MG, Feranil AB, Bechayda SA, Kuzawa CW. The role of testosterone in coordinating male life history strategies: The moderating effects of the androgen receptor CAG repeat polymorphism. Horm Behav 2017; 87:164-175. [PMID: 27794482 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2016.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2016] [Revised: 10/20/2016] [Accepted: 10/23/2016] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Partnered fathers often have lower testosterone than single non-parents, which is theorized to relate to elevated testosterone (T) facilitating competitive behaviors and lower T contributing to nurturing. Cultural- and individual-factors moderate the expression of such psychobiological profiles. Less is known about genetic variation's role in individual psychobiological responses to partnering and fathering, particularly as related to T. We examined the exon 1 CAG (polyglutamine) repeat (CAGn) within the androgen receptor (AR) gene. AR CAGn shapes T's effects after it binds to AR by affecting AR transcriptional activity. Thus, this polymorphism is a strong candidate to influence individual-level profiles of "androgenicity." While males with a highly androgenic profile are expected to engage in a more competitive-oriented life history strategy, low androgenic men are at increased risk of depression, which could lead to similar outcomes for certain familial dynamics, such as marriage stability and parenting. Here, in a large longitudinal study of Filipino men (n=683), we found that men who had high androgenicity (elevated T and shorter CAGn) or low androgenicity (lower T and longer CAGn) showed elevated likelihood of relationship instability over the 4.5-year study period and were also more likely be relatively uninvolved with childcare as fathers. We did not find that CAGn moderated men's T responses to the fatherhood transition. In total, our results provide evidence for invested fathering and relationship stability at intermediate levels of androgenicity and help inform our understanding of variation in male reproductive strategies and the individual hormonal and genetic differences that underlie it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lee T Gettler
- Department of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, United States; The Eck Institute for Global Health, University of Notre Dame, United States.
| | - Calen P Ryan
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, United States
| | - Dan T A Eisenberg
- Department of Anthropology, University of Washington, Seattle, United States; Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology, University of Washington, Seattle, United States
| | - Margarita Rzhetskaya
- Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Molecular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
| | - M Geoffrey Hayes
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, United States; Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Molecular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, United States; Center for Genetic Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
| | - Alan B Feranil
- USC Office of Population Studies Foundation and Department of Anthropology, Sociology, and History, College of Arts and Sciences, University of San Carlos, Talamban Cebu City, Philippines
| | - Sonny Agustin Bechayda
- USC Office of Population Studies Foundation and Department of Anthropology, Sociology, and History, College of Arts and Sciences, University of San Carlos, Talamban Cebu City, Philippines
| | - Christopher W Kuzawa
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, United States; Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, United States
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Abstract
AbstractVariation in the quality of parental care has a tremendous impact on a child's social–emotional development. Research investigating the predictors of this variability in human caregiving behavior has mostly focused on learning mechanisms. Evidence is currently accumulating for the complementary underlying role of steroid hormones and neuropeptides. An overview is provided of the hormones and neuropeptides relevant for human caregiving behavior. Then the developmental factors are described that stimulate variability in sensitivity to these hormones and neuropeptides, which may result in variability in the behavioral repertoire of caregiving. The role of genetic variation in neuropeptide and steroid receptors, the role of testosterone and oxytocin during fetal development and parturition, and the impact of experienced caregiving in childhood on functioning of the neuroendocrine stress and oxytocin system are discussed. Besides providing a heuristic framework for further research on the ontogenetic development of human caregiving, a neuroendocrine model is also presented for the intergenerational transmission of caregiving practices. Insight into the underlying biological mechanisms that bring about maladaptive caregiving behavior, such as neglect and insensitive parenting, will hopefully result in more efficient approaches to reduce the high prevalence of such behavior and to minimize the impact on those affected.
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31
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Gettler LT. Becoming DADS: Considering the Role of Cultural Context and Developmental Plasticity for Paternal Socioendocrinology. CURRENT ANTHROPOLOGY 2016. [DOI: 10.1086/686149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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32
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Gettler LT, Oka RC. Aging US males with multiple sources of emotional social support have low testosterone. Horm Behav 2016; 78:32-42. [PMID: 26472597 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2015.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2015] [Revised: 10/06/2015] [Accepted: 10/09/2015] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Among species expressing bi-parental care, males' testosterone is often low when they cooperate with females to raise offspring. In humans, low testosterone men might have an advantage as nurturant partners and parents because they are less prone to anger and reactive aggression and are more empathetic. However, humans engage in cooperative, supportive relationships beyond the nuclear family, and these prosocial capacities were likely critical to our evolutionary success. Despite the diversity of human prosociality, no prior study has tested whether men's testosterone is also reduced when they participate in emotionally supportive relationships, beyond partnering and parenting. Here, we draw on testosterone and emotional social support data that were collected from older men (n=371; mean: 61.2years of age) enrolled in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a US nationally-representative study. Men who reported receiving emotional support from two or more sources had lower testosterone than men reporting zero support (all p<0.01). Males with the most support (4+ sources) also had lower testosterone than those with one source of support (p<0.01). Men who reported emotional support from diverse (kin+non-kin or multiple kin) sources had lower testosterone than those with no support (p<0.05). Expanding on research on partnering and parenting, our findings are consistent with the notion that low testosterone is downstream of and/or facilitates an array of supportive social relationships. Our results contribute novel insights on the intersections between health, social support, and physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lee T Gettler
- Department of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, United States.
| | - Rahul C Oka
- Department of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, United States
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Messina I, Cattaneo L, Venuti P, de Pisapia N, Serra M, Esposito G, Rigo P, Farneti A, Bornstein MH. Sex-Specific Automatic Responses to Infant Cries: TMS Reveals Greater Excitability in Females than Males in Motor Evoked Potentials. Front Psychol 2016; 6:1909. [PMID: 26779061 PMCID: PMC4703787 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2015] [Accepted: 11/26/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroimaging reveals that infant cries activate parts of the premotor cortical system. To validate this effect in a more direct way, we used event-related transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Here, we investigated the presence and the time course of modulation of motor cortex excitability in young adults who listened to infant cries. Specifically, we recorded motor evoked potentials (MEPs) from the biceps brachii (BB) and interosseus dorsalis primus (ID1) muscles as produced by TMS delivered from 0 to 250 ms after sound onset in six steps of 50 ms in 10 females and 10 males. We observed an excitatory modulation of MEPs at 100 ms from the onset of infant cry specific to females and to the ID1 muscle. We regard this modulation as a response to natural cry sounds because it was attenuated to stimuli increasingly different from natural cry and absent in a separate group of females who listened to non-cry stimuli physically matched to natural infant cries. Furthermore, the 100-ms latency of this response is not compatible with a voluntary reaction to the stimulus but suggests an automatic, bottom-up audiomotor association. The brains of adult females appear to be tuned to respond to infant cries with automatic motor excitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Messina
- Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Education and Applied Psychology, University of PaduaPadua, Italy
| | - Luigi Cattaneo
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of TrentoTrento, Italy
| | - Paola Venuti
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, University of TrentoTrento, Italy
| | - Nicola de Pisapia
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, University of TrentoTrento, Italy
| | - Mauro Serra
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, University of TrentoTrento, Italy
| | - Gianluca Esposito
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, University of TrentoTrento, Italy
- Division of Psychology, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological UniversitySingapore, Singapore
| | - Paola Rigo
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, University of TrentoTrento, Italy
| | | | - Marc H. Bornstein
- Child and Family Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human DevelopmentBethesda, MD, USA
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Storey AE, Ziegler TE. Primate paternal care: Interactions between biology and social experience. Horm Behav 2016; 77:260-71. [PMID: 26253726 PMCID: PMC4968077 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2015.07.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2015] [Revised: 07/30/2015] [Accepted: 07/31/2015] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
This article is part of a Special Issue "Parental Care".We review recent research on the roles of hormones and social experiences on the development of paternal care in humans and non-human primates. Generally, lower concentrations of testosterone and higher concentrations of oxytocin are associated with greater paternal responsiveness. Hormonal changes prior to the birth appear to be important in preparation for fatherhood and changes after the birth are related to how much time fathers spend with offspring and whether they provide effective care. Prolactin may facilitate approach and the initiation of infant care, and in some biparental non-human primates, it affects body mass regulation. Glucocorticoids may be involved in coordinating reproductive and parental behavior between mates. New research involving intranasal oxytocin and neuropeptide receptor polymorphisms may help us understand individual variation in paternal responsiveness. This area of research, integrating both biological factors and the role of early and adult experience, has the potential to suggest individually designed interventions that can strengthen relationships between fathers and their partners and offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne E Storey
- Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador A1B 3X9, Canada; Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador A1B 3X9, Canada.
| | - Toni E Ziegler
- National Primate Research Center University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53715, USA
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Kuo PX, Saini EK, Thomason E, Schultheiss OC, Gonzalez R, Volling BL. Individual variation in fathers' testosterone reactivity to infant distress predicts parenting behaviors with their 1-year-old infants. Dev Psychobiol 2015; 58:303-14. [PMID: 26497119 DOI: 10.1002/dev.21370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2015] [Accepted: 10/05/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Positive father involvement is associated with positive child outcomes. There is great variation in fathers' involvement and fathering behaviors, and men's testosterone (T) has been proposed as a potential biological contributor to paternal involvement. Previous studies investigating testosterone changes in response to father-infant interactions or exposure to infant cues were unclear as to whether individual variation in T is predictive of fathering behavior. We show that individual variation in fathers' T reactivity to their infants during a challenging laboratory paradigm (Strange Situation) uniquely predicted fathers' positive parenting behaviors during a subsequent father-infant interaction, in addition to other psychosocial determinants of paternal involvement, such as dispositional empathy and marital quality. The findings have implications for understanding fathering behaviors and how fathers can contribute to their children's socioemotional development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patty X Kuo
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109.
| | - Ekjyot K Saini
- Human Development and Family Studies, Auburn University, Auburn, AL
| | | | - Oliver C Schultheiss
- Department of Psychology and Sport Sciences, Friedrich-Alexander University, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Richard Gonzalez
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109.,Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Brenda L Volling
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109.,Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
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Gressier F, Tabat-Bouher M, Cazas O, Hardy P. Dépression paternelle du post-partum : revue de la littérature. Presse Med 2015; 44:418-24. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lpm.2014.09.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2014] [Revised: 09/05/2014] [Accepted: 09/22/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022] Open
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Gettler LT, McDade TW, Agustin SS, Feranil AB, Kuzawa CW. Longitudinal Perspectives on Fathers’ Residence Status, Time Allocation, and Testosterone in the Philippines. ADAPTIVE HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND PHYSIOLOGY 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s40750-014-0018-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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Swain J, Dayton C, Kim P, Tolman R, Volling B. PROGRESS ON THE PATERNAL BRAIN: THEORY, ANIMAL MODELS, HUMAN BRAIN RESEARCH, AND MENTAL HEALTH IMPLICATIONS. Infant Ment Health J 2014; 35:394-408. [PMID: 25798491 DOI: 10.1002/imhj.21471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
With a secure foundation in basic research across mammalian species in which fathers participate in the raising of young, novel brain-imaging approaches are outlining a set of consistent brain circuits that regulate paternal thoughts and behaviors in humans. The newest experimental paradigms include increasingly realistic baby-stimuli to provoke paternal cognitions and behaviors with coordinated hormone measures to outline brain networks that regulate motivation, reflexive caring, emotion regulation, and social brain networks with differences and similarities to those found in mothers. In this article, on the father brain, we review all brain-imaging studies on PubMed to date on the human father brain and introduce the topic with a selection of theoretical models and foundational neurohormonal research on animal models in support of the human work. We discuss potentially translatable models for the identification and treatment of paternal mood and father-child relational problems, which could improve infant mental health and developmental trajectories with potentially broad public health importance.
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Affiliation(s)
- J.E. Swain
- University of Michigan and Yale University
| | - C.J. Dayton
- Wayne State University and University of Michigan
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Gettler LT. Applying socioendocrinology to evolutionary models: Fatherhood and physiology. Evol Anthropol 2014; 23:146-60. [DOI: 10.1002/evan.21412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
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Mazur A. Testosterone of young husbands rises with children in the home. Andrology 2013; 2:125-9. [PMID: 24265257 DOI: 10.1111/j.2047-2927.2013.00164.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2013] [Revised: 10/13/2013] [Accepted: 10/21/2013] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Evolutionary theory suggests that a man's testosterone (T) decreases after his fathering of children, when his priority shifts from mating to cooperative parenting (Fatherhood: Evolution and Human Parental Behavior, 2010). A variation in this theory has T decreasing for highly educated fathers but increasing for less educated fathers (Evol Hum Behav, 33, 2012, 665). The Vietnam Experience Study of 4462 male army veterans is here used to explore related hypotheses: (i) that T decreases with the presence (or increasing number) of children in the man's home and (ii) that the T rises or falls depending on father's education. These related hypotheses are not supported. To the contrary, among young fathers, ages 30-35 years, T is higher with the presence and number of children in the home, independent of education.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Mazur
- Maxwell School, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, USA
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Gettler LT, McDade TW, Agustin SS, Feranil AB, Kuzawa CW. Do testosterone declines during the transition to marriage and fatherhood relate to men's sexual behavior? Evidence from the Philippines. Horm Behav 2013; 64:755-63. [PMID: 24018138 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2013.08.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2013] [Revised: 08/11/2013] [Accepted: 08/30/2013] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Testosterone (T) is thought to help facilitate trade-offs between mating and parenting in humans. Across diverse cultural settings married men and fathers have lower T than other men and couples' sexual activity often declines during the first years of marriage and after having children. It is unknown whether these behavioral and hormonal changes are related. Here we use longitudinal data from a large study in the Philippines (n=433) to test this model. We show that among unmarried non-fathers at baseline (n=153; age: 21.5 ± 0.3 years) who became newly married new fathers by follow-up (4.5 years later), those who experienced less pronounced longitudinal declines in T reported more frequent intercourse with their partners at follow-up (p<0.01) compared to men with larger declines in T. Controlling for duration of marriage, findings were similar for men transitioning from unmarried to married (without children) (p<0.05). Men who remained unmarried and childless throughout the study period did not show similar T-sexual activity outcomes. Among newly married new fathers, subjects who had frequent intercourse both before and after the transition to married fatherhood had more modest declines in T compared to peers who had less frequent sex (p<0.001). Our findings are generally consistent with theoretical expectations and cross-species empirical observations regarding the role of T in male life history trade-offs, particularly in species with bi-parental care, and add to evidence that T and sexual activity have bidirectional relationships in human males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lee T Gettler
- Department of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA.
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42
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van Anders SM. Beyond masculinity: testosterone, gender/sex, and human social behavior in a comparative context. Front Neuroendocrinol 2013; 34:198-210. [PMID: 23867694 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2013.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2013] [Revised: 07/04/2013] [Accepted: 07/06/2013] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Largely based on pre-theory that ties high testosterone (T) to masculinity, and low T to femininity, high T is mainly studied in relation to aggression, mating, sexuality, and challenge, and low T with parenting. Evidence, however, fails to support this, and the social variability in T is better accounted for by a competition-nurturance trade-off as per the Steroid/Peptide Theory of Social Bonds (van Anders et al., 2011). Four key domains are discussed: adult-infant interactions, sexual desire, sexual behavior, and partnering. Empirical engagements with gender/sex are shown to lead to important insights over assumptions about masculinity-femininity. Humans are discussed within a comparative framework that attends to cross-species principles informed by human insights alongside human-specific particularities like social constructions, which are critical to evolutionary understandings of the social role of T. This paper thus integrates seemingly orthogonal perspectives to allow for transformative approaches to an empirically-supported social phenomenology of T.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sari M van Anders
- Departments of Psychology & Women's Studies, Programs in Neuroscience, Reproductive Sciences, and Science, Technology, & Society, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48105, USA.
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Gettler LT, Mcdade TW, Agustin SS, Kuzawa CW. Progesterone and estrogen responsiveness to father-toddler interaction. Am J Hum Biol 2013; 25:491-8. [DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.22396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2012] [Revised: 02/14/2013] [Accepted: 02/26/2013] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Lee T. Gettler
- Department of Anthropology; University of Notre Dame; Notre Dame Indiana
| | - Thomas W. Mcdade
- Department of Anthropology; Northwestern University; Evanston Illinois
- Cells to Society (C2S): The Center on Social Disparities and Health; Institute for Policy Research; Northwestern University; Evanston Illinois
| | - Sonny S. Agustin
- USC-Office of Population Studies Foundation; University of San Carlos; Metro Cebu Philippines
| | - Christopher W. Kuzawa
- Department of Anthropology; Northwestern University; Evanston Illinois
- Cells to Society (C2S): The Center on Social Disparities and Health; Institute for Policy Research; Northwestern University; Evanston Illinois
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44
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Pollet TV, Cobey KD, van der Meij L. Testosterone levels are negatively associated with fatherhood [corrected] in males, but positively related to offspring count in fathers. PLoS One 2013; 8:e60018. [PMID: 23573228 PMCID: PMC3616053 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0060018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2012] [Accepted: 02/20/2013] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Variation in testosterone (T) is thought to affect the allocation of effort between reproductive and parenting strategies. Here, using a large sample of elderly American men (n = 754) and women (n = 669) we examined the relationship between T and self-reported parenthood, as well as the relationship between T and number of reported children. Results supported previous findings from the literature, showing that fathers had lower T levels than men who report no children. Furthermore, we found that among fathers T levels were positively associated with the number of children a man reports close to the end of his lifespan. Results were maintained when controlling for a number of relevant factors such as time of T sampling, participant age, educational attainment, BMI, marital status and reported number of sex partners. In contrast, T was not associated with either motherhood or the number of children women had, suggesting that, at least in this sample, T does not influence the allocation of effort between reproductive and parenting strategies among women. Findings from this study contribute to the growing body of literature suggesting that, among men, pair bonding and paternal care are associated with lower T levels, while searching and acquiring sex partners is associated with higher T levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas V Pollet
- Department of Social and Organizational Psychology, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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45
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Cavanaugh J, French JA. Post-partum variation in the expression of paternal care is unrelated to urinary steroid metabolites in marmoset fathers. Horm Behav 2013; 63:551-8. [PMID: 23439223 PMCID: PMC3746002 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2013.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2012] [Revised: 02/11/2013] [Accepted: 02/12/2013] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The organization and activation of maternal care are known to be highly regulated by hormones and there is growing evidence that expression of paternal care is also related to endocrine substrates. We examined the relationship between paternal behavior and steroid hormones in marmoset fathers (Callithrix geoffroyi) and evaluated whether hormone-paternal behavior relationships were altered by previous offspring-care experience in males. Based on previous findings, we predicted that testosterone, estradiol, and cortisol would decrease following the birth of offspring and would be lowest during the period of maximal infant carrying. Furthermore, we predicted that post-partum changes in carrying effort and hormone levels would be influenced by the level of offspring-care experience. Carrying effort and other paternal care behaviors underwent temporal changes over the post-partum period, but these patterns were not related to variation in hormone concentrations over the same period. There was a limited effect of offspring-care experience on hormone concentrations, but experience was found to play a role in the expression of paternal care, with experienced fathers engaging in significantly more infant allogrooming than inexperienced fathers. Furthermore, inexperienced fathers increased the frequency of food sharing in response to infant begging across the post-partum period, while experienced fathers displayed consistently low levels. We posit that a combination of experiential factors and an increased role for alloparents in offspring-care led to these changes. However, it appears that hormonal changes may not influence paternal responsiveness in white-faced marmoset fathers and that hormone-paternal behavior relationships are not critically dependent on a male's previous offspring-care experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jon Cavanaugh
- Callitrichid Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska, Omaha, NE 68182, USA.
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46
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The neural and hormonal bases of human parentalcare. Neuropsychologia 2013; 51:731-47. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2012.12.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 149] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2012] [Revised: 12/11/2012] [Accepted: 12/13/2012] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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47
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Gettler LT, McKenna JJ, McDade TW, Agustin SS, Kuzawa CW. Does cosleeping contribute to lower testosterone levels in fathers? Evidence from the Philippines. PLoS One 2012; 7:e41559. [PMID: 22957016 PMCID: PMC3434197 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0041559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2012] [Accepted: 06/26/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Because cross-species evidence suggests that high testosterone (T) may interfere with paternal investment, the relationships between men's transition to parenting and changes in their T are of growing interest. Studies of human males suggest that fathers who provide childcare often have lower T than uninvolved fathers, but no studies to date have evaluated how nighttime sleep proximity between fathers and their offspring may affect T. Using data collected in 2005 and 2009 from a sample of men (n = 362; age 26.0 ± 0.3 years in 2009) residing in metropolitan Cebu, Philippines, we evaluated fathers' T based on whether they slept on the same surface as their children (same surface cosleepers), slept on a different surface but in the same room (roomsharers), or slept separately from their children (solitary sleepers). A large majority (92%) of fathers in this sample reported practicing same surface cosleeping. Compared to fathers who slept solitarily, same surface cosleeping fathers had significantly lower evening (PM) T and also showed a greater diurnal decline in T from waking to evening (both p<0.05). Among men who were not fathers at baseline (2005), fathers who were cosleepers at follow-up (2009) experienced a significantly greater longitudinal decline in PM T over the 4.5-year study period (p<0.01) compared to solitary sleeping fathers. Among these same men, baseline T did not predict fathers' sleeping arrangements at follow-up (p>0.2). These results are consistent with previous findings indicating that daytime father-child interaction contributes to lower T among fathers. Our findings specifically suggest that close sleep proximity between fathers and their offspring results in greater longitudinal decreases in T as men transition to fatherhood and lower PM T overall compared to solitary sleeping fathers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lee T Gettler
- Department of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, United States of America.
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48
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Kuo PX, Carp J, Light KC, Grewen KM. Neural responses to infants linked with behavioral interactions and testosterone in fathers. Biol Psychol 2012; 91:302-6. [PMID: 22910372 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2012.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2011] [Revised: 07/06/2012] [Accepted: 08/02/2012] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Few fMRI studies have investigated the brain-behavioral basis of parenting in human fathers. Ten fathers were videotaped and gave salivary testosterone samples while interacting with their 2-4 months old infants, and viewed video clips of their own infant and an unfamiliar age-, ethnicity- and sex-matched other infant during an fMRI protocol. Infant stimuli activated a network of prefrontal and subcortical brain regions. Furthermore, a subset of these regions activated significantly more to own (OWN) than other (OTHER) infants. Finally, neural responses to OWN versus OTHER were linked with paternal sensitivity, paternal reciprocity, and testosterone. In sum, our results provide a novel perspective on the links between brain, behavior, and hormones in fathers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patty X Kuo
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina, United States.
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49
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Perini T, Ditzen B, Fischbacher S, Ehlert U. Testosterone and relationship quality across the transition to fatherhood. Biol Psychol 2012; 90:186-91. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2012.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2011] [Revised: 03/06/2012] [Accepted: 03/06/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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50
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Gettler LT, McDade TW, Feranil AB, Kuzawa CW. Prolactin, fatherhood, and reproductive behavior in human males. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2012; 148:362-70. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2012] [Accepted: 02/20/2012] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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