Characteristics of Maternal and Paternal Behavior in Traditional and Nontraditional Swedish Families

Abstract

Forty-five Swedish couples (N = 90) were observed at home interacting with their 16month-old infants. Fifteen of the fathers had been primary caretaker for more than one month (x = 2.8 months). These men were designated Involved whereas their partners were deemed Less Involved. Men who took little or no parental leave were considered Less Involved, and their partners were deemed Involved. Analyses of the parents' behavior revealed that mothers were more likely to vocalize, display affection toward, touch, tend to, and hold their infants than fathers were, regardless of relative involvement in caretaking. Involvement in caretaking had no significant effects on parental behavior. However, involved mothers scored highest on all six of the major behavioral measures. The findings suggested that gender differences in parental behavior are much less amenable to social influence than many psychologists believe, although we are not yet able to say whether gender differences in parental style have some biological basis.

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