Father Trait Anger and Exposure to Infant Cry: Effects on Emotion, Appraisals of Infants, and Cognitive Performance

Trait anger can impact emotional states, appraisals of others, and cognition. The study aim was to assess in fathers whether these associations are exacerbated by infant crying.

Three hundred sixty-eight fathers were randomly assigned to infant cry, infant babble, or a non-infant-related control while completing assessments of cognitive scope, impulse control, or mentalizing. Trait anger (pre-exposure), emotional state (pre- and post-exposure), and appraisals of the infant (post-exposure) were assessed.

Regression analyses revealed that trait anger was associated with increased angry emotional state post-exposure, including feeling like yelling at someone, feeling like hitting someone, and with negative appraisals of infant temperament. Fathers exposed to cry were more likely to feel angry and like yelling at someone post-exposure than fathers exposed to babble or pink noise, and appraised the infant more negatively and as having less positive intent than fathers exposed to babble. Neither trait anger nor sound condition were associated with cognitive scope, impulse control, or mentalizing performance. No significant interaction effects between trait anger and infant cry condition were found on any of the dependent variables.

Fathers may benefit from support to modulate their responses to infant cry. Fathers with higher trait anger may benefit from intervention to manage responses to both positive and negative infant expressions.