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The neural correlates of paternal consoling behavior and frustration in response to infant crying

James K Rilling1,2,3,4,5, Lynnet Richey1, Elissar Andari6

  • 1Department of Anthropology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.

Developmental Psychobiology
|January 16, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Engaging with crying infants activates fathers' brains more than passive listening, boosting movement and empathy areas. Paternal frustration linked to less emotion regulation and motivation.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Parental Behavior

Background:

  • Human fathers form strong infant attachments, crucial for development.
  • Infant crying is a trigger for abuse, with fathers being common perpetrators.
  • Previous research on parental brain responses to infant cries used passive listening.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate neural responses of fathers to infant cries during active consolation.
  • To compare brain activity during passive listening versus active engagement with crying infants.
  • To explore the neural correlates of paternal frustration during infant consolation.

Main Methods:

  • 20 new fathers participated in the study.
  • Neural responses were measured during passive listening to infant cries.
  • Fathers actively attempted to console infants using a video game interface.

Main Results:

  • Active responding significantly activated brain regions associated with movement, empathy, and approach motivation.
  • Active responding deactivated brain regions linked to stress and anxiety.
  • Fathers reporting frustration showed reduced activation in emotion regulation and basal forebrain areas.
  • Successful consolation activated brain regions involved in action-outcome learning and parental caregiving.

Conclusions:

  • Active engagement with crying infants enhances neural activation compared to passive listening.
  • Paternal frustration during infant crying may stem from low approach motivation and emotion regulation.
  • Understanding these neural mechanisms can inform interventions for paternal well-being and infant safety.

Keywords:
braincryfMRIfatherinfant

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