Paternal caregiving and incest: test of a biosocial model

The existence of a biosocial mechanism for inhibiting incest through early caretaking contact was explored in a comparison between incestuous fathers and a nonincestuous control sample. Low involvement in caretaking was found to be a risk factor for incest, even after controlling for other predisposing conditions. However, it appeared that caretaking has its effect by enhancing more general parental feelings and capacities, rather than by inhibiting a father's sexual interest in the daughter, as proposed in the original biosocial theory.