Impact of marital quality and psychological well-being on parental sensitivity

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which marital quality influences psychological well-being, thereby contributing to parental sensitivity to infant cues among first-time mothers and fathers; the effects of parental age and infant sex on parental sensitivity; and whether the determinants of parental sensitivity differ between first-time mothers and first-time fathers. Data collections were done in the homes of 71 married couples with healthy, first-born 3-month-old infants. The maternal regression equation accounted for 17% of the variance in parental sensitivity, with perceptions of the spouse's participation in family life and maternal age explaining the most variance. The paternal equation accounted for 6% of the variance, with psychological well-being the only significant predictor. The sex of the infant was not a significant predictor of parental sensitivity for either parent.