A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
Parental Investment by Birth Fathers and Stepfathers - Roles of Mating Effort and Childhood Co-residence Duration
Authors: Pettay Jenni E, Danielsbacka Mirkka, Helle Samuli, Perry Gretchen, Daly Martin, Tanskanen Antti O
Publisher: SPRINGER
Publication year: 2023
Journal: Human Nature
Journal name in source: HUMAN NATURE-AN INTERDISCIPLINARY BIOSOCIAL PERSPECTIVE
Journal acronym: HUM NATURE-INT BIOS
Volume: 34
First page : 276
Last page: 294
Number of pages: 19
ISSN: 1045-6767
eISSN: 1936-4776
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12110-023-09450-6
Web address : https://doi.org/10.1007/s12110-023-09450-6
Self-archived copy’s web address: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/179998151
This study investigates the determinants of paternal investment by birth fathers and stepfathers. Inclusive fitness theory predicts higher parental investment in birth children than stepchildren, and this has consistently been found in previous studies. Here we investigate whether paternal investment varies with childhood co-residence duration and differs between stepfathers and divorced birth fathers by comparing the investment of (1) stepfathers, (2) birth fathers who are separated from the child's mother, and (3) birth fathers who still are in a relationship with her. Path analysis was conducted using cross-sectional data from adolescents and younger adults (aged 17-19, 27-29, and 37-39 years) from the German Family Panel (pairfam), collected in 2010-2011 (n = 8326). As proxies of paternal investment, we used financial and practical help, emotional support, intimacy, and emotional closeness, as reported by the children. We found that birth fathers who were still in a relationship with the mother invested the most, and stepfathers invested the least. Furthermore, the investment of both separated fathers and stepfathers increased with the duration of co-residence with the child. However, in the case of financial help and intimacy, the effect of childhood co-residence duration was stronger in stepfathers than in separated fathers. Our findings support inclusive fitness theory and mating effort theory in explaining social behavior and family dynamics in this population. Furthermore, social environment, such as childhood co-residence was associated with paternal investment.
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