Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 8, 2026
07:59
Using a Comparative Species Approach to Investigate the Neurobiology of Paternal Responses
Published on: September 19, 2011
Shared knowledge about infants among fathers and mothers
1Department of Early Childhood Education, Georgia State University, Atlanta 30303.
The Journal of Genetic Psychology
|December 1, 1988
Summary
Low-income mothers and fathers exchange parenting information. While mothers had more accurate developmental expectations, fathers
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Family Studies
- Sociology
Background:
- Parenting information exchange between spouses is crucial for child development.
- Understanding spousal influence on parenting practices is essential for early family life.
- Research often overlooks the dyadic nature of parenting information acquisition.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the exchange of parenting information between low-income White mothers and fathers of infants.
- To compare mothers' and fathers' expectations of infant development and their help-seeking behaviors.
- To explore the role of spousal accuracy in predicting individual accuracy in parenting knowledge.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study examining parenting information exchange in low-income White families with infants.
- Comparison of mothers' and fathers' normative developmental expectations.
- Analysis of help-seeking behaviors when infant problems arise, including reliance on spouse.
Main Results:
- Mothers generally possessed more accurate expectations for normative infant development than fathers.
- Fathers with more accurate expectations had spouses who were also more accurate, irrespective of education level.
- Fathers sought help from fewer sources than mothers, with a higher likelihood of relying solely on their spouse.
Conclusions:
- Parenting socialization involves significant information exchange between mothers and fathers.
- Spousal influence is a key factor in fathers' parenting accuracy, even when controlling for education.
- Future research on parenting socialization, especially concerning fathers, must account for dyadic interactions.
Related Concept Videos
00:55Parental Care
Many animals exhibit parental care behavior, including feeding, grooming, and protecting young offspring. Parental care is universal in mammals and birds, which often have young that are born relatively helpless. Several species of insects and fish, as well as some amphibians, also care for their young.
01:21The Nativist Approach
The nativist approach to infant cognitive development proposes that infants are born with inherent knowledge structures that allow them to interpret the world almost immediately. This perspective contrasts with earlier developmental theories, such as those proposed by Jean Piaget, which emphasized a more gradual acquisition of cognitive abilities through interaction with the environment. One key concept in this approach is object permanence — the understanding that objects continue to exist...
01:30Socioemotional Development during Infancy
Socio-emotional development in infancy is primarily shaped by early emotional responses and social connections, with temperament playing a central role. Temperament refers to the consistent patterns in an individual's emotional and behavioral responses, observable even in infancy. By examining temperament, researchers can better understand an infant's unique ways of interacting with the world, influencing subsequent personality and socio-emotional growth.
Primary Temperament Types
Stella Chess...
Primary Temperament Types
Stella Chess...
01:20Attachment
Attachment is vital for infant development, as warm social interactions support growth and well-being. In a classic 1958 study by Harry Harlow, the significance of warmth and comfort in forming attachments was examined. Harlow separated newborn monkeys from their mothers and provided two artificial "mothers": one made of cold wire and the other covered in soft cloth. Despite the wire mother offering food, the infant monkeys preferred the comfort of the cloth mother, demonstrating that physical...
01:28Relationship with Parents: Attachment
Parent-child interactions lay the foundation for how we understand relationships throughout life. These interactions are not uniform across families; instead, they are shaped by a range of environmental, emotional, and behavioral factors unique to each caregiver-child dynamic. Social psychologists study these early relationships to understand how patterns formed in infancy influence social functioning and interpersonal behavior in adulthood.Attachment Theory and Early Relational ModelsJohn...
01:29Relationship with Other Adult Family Members and Siblings
Other adult family members and siblings play a crucial role in shaping children’s social and emotional development. While parents or primary caregivers are often the central figures in early attachment and socialization, other adults in a child’s life, such as grandparents, aunts, and uncles, can significantly influence developmental outcomes. These influences depend on each adult’s personality and may help compensate when a primary caregiver is emotionally distant or inconsistent. For...