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Updated: Jul 30, 2026

Using a Comparative Species Approach to Investigate the Neurobiology of Paternal Responses
Published on: September 19, 2011
Father responsivity: couple processes and the coconstruction of fatherhood
Dana Shawn Matta1, Carmen Knudson-Martin
1Department of Marriage and Family Therapy, Seton Hill University, Greensburg, PA, USA. dsmattaphd@msn.com
Abstract:
Forty in-depth interviews of heterosexual parents of children 5 five years of age and younger are analyzed using a qualitative grounded theory approach to understand how couples coproduce fatherhood within their day-to-day relationships and in social, cultural, and economic contexts. The analysis identifies the construct "responsivity" as a central process through which, to varying degrees, fathers are aware of the needs of their wives and children and able to take an active part in meeting them. Three groups of fathers are examined according to their level of responsivity: low, moderate, and high. Factors influencing degree of father responsivity include gender constructions, power and the wife's influence, attunement, work schedules, and emotional tradeoffs. Implications for practice are suggested.
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