Predicting paternal involvement with a newborn by attitude toward women's roles

Area of Science:

• Social Psychology
• Sociology of the Family
• Gender Studies

Background:

• Significant shifts in American women's social roles over the past two decades.
• Research indicates a potential lag in attitudinal shifts compared to behavioral changes regarding gender roles.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine if expectant couples with egalitarian views on women's roles anticipate increased paternal involvement in infant care.
• Investigate the relationship between attitudes toward women's roles and projected paternal behavior before the birth of a first child.

Main Methods:

• Administered demographic questionnaire, Attitudes Toward Women Scale, and Projected Paternal Behavior Scale to 103 prenatal couples.
• Data collected during the sixth to eighth months of pregnancy.
• Utilized correlational analysis to assess relationships between variables.

Main Results:

• Confirmed a significant positive correlation between egalitarian attitudes toward women's roles (held by both mothers and fathers) and projected paternal involvement in infant care.
• More liberal attitudes towards women's roles were associated with higher participant age, family income, and education levels.

Conclusions:

• Expectant couples' egalitarian views on gender roles predict fathers' anticipated involvement in infant care.
• Demographic factors such as age, income, and education are linked to more liberal attitudes regarding women's roles and paternal participation.