ANI
10 Apr 2021, 16:25 GMT+10
Washington [US], April 10 (ANI): In some men, having traditional masculine characteristics such as competitiveness and adventurousness was linked to being better fathers to infants, a new study suggested.
The findings of the study were published in the journal Psychology of Men and Masculinities.
But the men in this study - highly educated and from dual-earner couples - combined those stereotypically masculine traits with the belief that they should be nurturing, highly involved fathers.
The researchers were surprised that traits often seen as old-fashioned male stereotypes were linked to more positive parenting behaviours, said study lead author Sarah Schoppe-Sullivan, professor of psychology at The Ohio State University.
It suggests that some men are looking for new ways to be fathers, Schoppe-Sullivan said.
"These men are combining traditional aspects of masculinity with new nurturing ideals to create new fathering identities. They may be in the midst of transforming fatherhood," Schoppe-Sullivan stated.
The seven stereotypical masculine characteristics linked to positive parenting in this study - competitive, daring, adventurous, dominant, aggressive, courageous and stands up to pressure - are generally seen as positive traits, Schoppe-Sullivan noted.
But a negative masculine attitude that the researchers also measured in this study - hostile sexism - was not linked to positive parenting. In addition, the quality of fathers' parenting of their infants was unrelated to the belief that men should be primary economic providers in the family.
The men in the study were participating in the New Parents Project, a long-term study led by Schoppe-Sullivan that is investigating how dual-earner couples adjust to becoming parents for the first time.
In the third trimester of their partners' pregnancy, the expectant fathers completed a variety of questionnaires. They were asked to rate themselves on a four-point scale (not at all like me to very much like me) on the seven stereotypically masculine characteristics.
Hostile sexism was rated by asking male participants how much they agreed with 11 statements like "Feminists are making unreasonable demands of men." Participants were also asked whether men or women should provide the majority of income for the family.
Their nurturing father role beliefs were measured by asking men to rate how much they agreed with nine statements like "Men should share with child care such as bathing, feeding and dressing the child."Nine months after the child was born, the researchers watched the fathers interact with their infants by themselves and with the mother. The researchers rated the fathers on their positive parenting behavior and on how well they co-parented together with mothers.
Results showed, as the researchers had predicted, that men who believed they should have a nurturing father role had higher-quality interactions with their child and were better at co-parenting with their partner.
But the researchers were surprised to find that the more men said they fit the stereotypical definition of "real men," the more they were also rated as showing good parenting behavior.
"The fathers who see themselves as competitive and adventurous and the other masculine traits tended to be really engaged with their kids. They were not checked out," Schoppe-Sullivan said.
It may be that men who used these traditionally masculine characteristics to succeed in their careers are trying to find ways to apply them to their jobs as parents.
"These dads may be saying that being a father is an important job, too, and I'm going to use the same traits that help me succeed at work to make me a successful father," she said.
Schoppe-Sullivan emphasised that the fathers in this sample were highly educated and had partners who also worked. The findings here may not apply to all fathers.
But the results are encouraging, she said. "If fathers can preserve the best of these stereotypically masculine characteristics, without the negatives like hostile sexism, that would be good for families," Schoppe-Sullivan concluded. (ANI)Get a daily dose of Cleveland Star news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Cleveland Star.
More InformationNEW YORK, New York -U.S. stock markets closed with broad gains on Thursday, led by strong performances in U.S. tech stocks, while European...
LONDON/STOCKHOLM: The Persson family is ramping up its investment in the H&M fashion empire, fueling renewed speculation about a potential...
PARIS, France: L'Oréal is making a fresh play in the booming premium haircare segment with a new acquisition. The French beauty conglomerate...
MENLO PARK, California: Robinhood is giving European investors a new way to tap into America's most prominent tech names — without...
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stocks diverged on Wednesday for the second day in a row. The Standard and Poor's 500 hit a new all-time...
NEW YORK CITY, New York: The U.S. dollar continues to lose ground, weighed down by growing concerns over Washington's fiscal outlook...
Washington DC [US], July 3 (ANI): As the Expedition 73 and Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) crews kept up their ongoing space biology studies...
ABU DHABI, 19th June, 2025 (WAM) -- Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi has become the first and only research hospital in the UAE to receive...
ABU DHABI, 17th June, 2025 (WAM) -- Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, part of the M42 group, has successfully introduced continuous infusion...
ABU DHABI, 9th June, 2025 (WAM) -- Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi has successfully performed the UAE's first robotic cytoreductive surgery...
ABU DHABI,16th May, 2025 (WAM) - Oracle Health, Cleveland Clinic, and G42 today announced a strategic partnership to develop a groundbreaking...
ABU DHABI, 6th May, 2025 (WAM) -- PureHealth and its subsidiary SEHA have partnered with the number one US children's hospital, Cincinnati...