Fathers of daughters may demonstrate higher levels of attachment, commitment, trust and intimacy toward the child’s mother than fathers of sons, according to new research from Rutgers University.
The study, conducted by researchers at the Rutgers Business School’s Center for Women in Business, was published online ahead of print in the November issue of the journal “Personality and Individual Differences.”
“Having a daughter appears to be protective of the primary parent relationship,” said Kristina Durante, professor and research fellow at the Center for Women in Business and a coauthor of the study. “When men have daughters, it alters their psychologies in interesting ways, including, as we found, higher levels of commitment to the mother.”
Researchers conducted three surveys involving nearly 1,700 parents across the United States.
In the first survey, fathers of daughters younger than 18 were asked about the quality of their relationship with the child’s mother. A second survey asked mothers of daughters about their perceptions of the fathers’ behavior.
For the third survey, researchers recruited soon-to-be parents during the final trimester of pregnancy to examine whether differences in fathers’ behavior existed before the child’s birth or emerged after they became fathers.
“Fathers of daughters are not necessarily better dads, but they are perceived, both individually and by the child’s mother, as better at being there for their partner,” said Krystal Duarte, a postdoctoral research associate at the Center for Women in Business and lead author of the study.
Researchers said the reason for the difference remains unclear and offered several possible explanations.
“Fathers are often a daughter’s first close look at what to expect from a man in a relationship,” said Duarte. “If a father is showing up for the child’s mother, being attentive, supportive, committed, that becomes the daughter’s working model for what a good partner looks like. We think dads may be, in effect, coaching their daughters on what to expect and what not to settle for, just by how they treat mom.”
Researchers also noted that fatherhood has been associated with declines in testosterone that may encourage caregiving and pair-bonding, although that would apply to fathers of both sons and daughters. Other possible factors include cultural expectations surrounding the protection of daughters and changes in perceived family vulnerability or expectations within relationships.
“Relationships are enormously beneficial to men, but historically they’ve been especially critical for women,” said Durante. “A father who’s actively working at his own partnership is showing his daughter that this kind of investment from a man is possible, and worth expecting.”
