Differential susceptibility to fathers' care and involvement: the moderating effect of infant reactivity
Open accessAbstract
The differential susceptibility hypothesis suggests that children differ in their susceptibility to the influence of both positive and negative environmental factors. Children with reactive temperaments are hypothesised to be particularly susceptible to environmental influences, both for better and for worse. The present study sought to investigate whether infant temperament moderates the influence of fathers on child prosocial and problem behaviours. In a large prospective population study (Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children), 5064 children were followed between the ages of six and 81 months (6¾ years). Infant temperament, child behaviours, and fathers' involvement and depression were assessed.Although no overall moderating effect of reactive temperament was found for father involvement or depression, there was an interaction between reactivity, child gender, and father involvement. Girls with reactive temperaments were more susceptible to father involvement, showing significantly fewer problem behaviours and more prosocial behaviours when fathers were more involved, and more problem behaviours and fewer prosocial behaviours with less father involvement. The findings provide some support for the differential susceptibility hypothesis and extend existing findings to include effects of fathers' involvement on positive and negative behavioural outcomes.
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Prosocial and problem behaviours were less common with high father involvement but more likely with higher paternal depression.
“Ramchandani et al. (2010) indicated that prosocial and problem behaviours were less common with high levels of father involvement but were more likely with higher levels of paternal depression.”
From The effects of paternal depression on child and adolescent outcomes: A systematic review (2016) · cites this paper as Ramchandani et al. (2010)
In the cited studies, participants who remained at follow-up had lower depressive symptoms than those who dropped out.
“A potential explanation for this may be that depressive symptoms of those who participated in the study at follow-up were lower than those who dropped out (Ramchandani et al. 2010;Van Den Berg et al. 2009).”
From The effects of paternal depression on child and adolescent outcomes: A systematic review (2016) · cites this paper as Ramchandani et al. 2010
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References 46 · Cited by 40
- Authors
- Ramchandani, P. G., IJzendoorn, M. V., & Bakermans-Kranenburg, M. J.
- Affiliations
- Warneford Hospital (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Ramchandani, Paul G.
- ORCID
- Ramchandani, Paul G.
- Venue
- Family Science
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2010-04
- Volume
- 1
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 93-101
- ISSN
- 1942-4620 (ISSN-L)
- 1942-4639
- PMC
- PMC3208580
- OpenAlex
- W2090292768
- Cited by
- 40
- References
- 46
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 1 · 2023: 4 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 1 · 2013: 3 · 2012: 2
- FWCI
- 1.75
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Family Science (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Wellcome Trust (078434)
- University of Bristol
- Medical Research Council
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Social Sciences › Demography › Family Dynamics and Relationships
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Attachment and Relationship Dynamics
- Keywords
- differential susceptibility hypothesis, infant temperament, infant reactivity, father involvement, paternal depression, prosocial behavior, behavioral problems, child gender differences, moderating effect, early childhood development, Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children
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