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PubMed2003

Decisions about parental care in response to perceived paternity.

Evolutionary ecologists are attempting to explain how parents make behavioural decisions about how much care to provide to their young. Theory predicts that when genetic relatedness to young is decreased by cuckoldry, for example, parents should reduce their care in favour of alternative broods that provide greater reproductive success. Experimental manipulation of perceived paternity has been used to test the theory, but such studies have generated mixed results. Some manipulations can fail to alter a parent's perceived paternity, whereas others may directly affect parental behaviour when, for instance, the manipulation involves capturing the parent. No study has demonstrated parental care adjustment in a manner uncomplicated by experimental design or life history correlates. Here I test the theory using the fact that nest-tending parental male bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus) can assess their paternity using both the visual presence of parasitic cuckolder males during spawning, and olfactory cues released by newly hatched eggs. By manipulating both types of cues I show that parental males dynamically adjust their parental care, favouring broods that are apparently most closely related. These results confirm the importance of genetic relatedness in parental care decision-making.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Genetic mating systems and reproductive natural histories of fishes: lessons for ecology and evolution.

Fish species have diverse breeding behaviors that make them valuable for testing theories on genetic mating systems and reproductive tactics. Here we review genetic appraisals of paternity and maternity in wild fish populations. Behavioral phenomena quantified by genetic markers in various species include patterns of multiple mating by both sexes; frequent cuckoldry by males and rare cuckoldry by females in nest-tending species; additional routes to surrogate parentage via nest piracy and egg-thievery; egg mimicry by nest-tending males; brood parasitism by helper males in cooperative breeders; clutch mixing in oral brooders; kinship in schooling fry of broadcast spawners; sperm storage by dams in female-pregnant species; and sex-role reversal, polyandry, and strong sexual selection on females in some male-pregnant species. Additional phenomena addressed by genetic parentage analyses in fishes include clustered mutations, filial cannibalism, and local population size. All results are discussed in the context of relevant behavioral and evolutionary theory.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Comparison of the predictors of alcohol use and misuse among Han and aboriginal students in Taiwan.

The objective of this study was to compare the predictors of alcohol usage between the Han and aboriginal students in Taiwan. Results showed a significant gender difference for alcohol use and problematic drinking in both Han and aboriginal adolescents, with males having a higher prevalence of these problems than females in both groups. Aboriginal adolescents did not show gender differences in alcohol-related negative consequences. Male, paternal drinking, single-parent household, peer drinking, and peer relationships are the significant predictors for the Hans adolescents' problematic drinking. Gender, paternal drinking, and peer drinking are the significant predictors for aboriginal adolescents' problematic drinking. If the father drinks frequently, odds ratio is 6.48 likely for aboriginal adolescents to have problematic drinking. If peers drink frequently, odds ratio is 6.26 likely for aboriginal adolescents to have alcohol-related negative consequences. Frequent peer drinking was associated with a 6.26 odds ratio of have alcohol-related negative consequences.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Intrauterine cocaine and crack exposure: neonatal outcome.

OBJECTIVE: Adverse health effects are associated with intrauterine cocaine exposure. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of fetal cocaine and crack exposure on neonatal outcome. STUDY DESIGN: We enrolled 386 mother-infant pairs, including 130 matched control pairs, in the study. The course of pregnancy and delivery was followed and neonatal outcome was assessed by physical and neurologic examination, as well as by the Brazelton Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale and the Neonatal Stress Scale. RESULTS: The cocaine-exposed neonates had significantly more adverse effects than the matched control infants. Birth weight, length, and head circumference were significantly lower in the cocaine- and crack-exposed infants (p < or = 0.001). There were significantly more premature infants (p < or = 0.007) in this group. They demonstrated significant abnormalities on the neurologic examination (p < or = 0.001), inferior performance on the Brazelton Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (p < or = 0.001), and higher scores on the Neonatal Stress Scale (p < or = 0.001). Predictors of negative neonatal outcome were maternal age (p < or = 0.02), poor paternal relationship with the mother (p < or = 0.002), crack use (p < or = 0.004), cocaine use (p < or = 0.009), and marijuana use (p < or = 0.05). CONCLUSION: The single most important predictor of neonatal outcome is the frequency, quantity, and type of cocaine used.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

The effect on father-infant interaction of demonstrating the neonatal behavioral assessment scale.

Forty-four first-time fathers who had attended prenatal classes and were present during labor and delivery of their healthy infants were divided randomly into an experimental group of 22 who observed the Brazelton neonatal behavioral assessment scale performed on their 2- to 3-day-old infants, or into a control group of 22 who did not receive this intervention. Paternal involvement in, and attitudes toward, infant caretaking and ratings of infant difficultness were compared in the two groups. Father-infant interaction was measured by two-minute videotape analysis at eight weeks postpartum. Paternal attitudes, caretaking activities, and perceptions of their infants were measured by questionnaire self-reports. There were significant differences in the quality, but not quantity, of father-infant interactions, and in one of four measures of infant difficultness (unpredictability) between the two groups.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Sexual risk behavior among South African adolescents: is orphan status a factor?

There is concern that orphans may be at particular risk of HIV infection due to earlier age of sexual onset and higher likelihood of sexual exploitation or abuse; however, there is limited empirical evidence examining this phenomenon. Utilizing data from 1,694 Black South African youth aged 14-18, of whom 31% are classified as orphaned, this analysis explores the relationship between orphan status and sexual risk. The analysis found both male and female orphans significantly more likely to have engaged in sex as compared to non-orphans (49% vs. 39%). After adjusting for socio-demographic variables, orphans were nearly one and half times more likely than non-orphans to have had sex. Among sexually active youth, orphans reported younger age of sexual intercourse with 23% of orphans having had sex by age 13 or younger compared to 15% of non-orphans. Programmatic implications of these findings for the care and protection of orphans are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Parental style and vulnerability to depression: the role of core beliefs.

This study considers the potential role of core beliefs (unconditional schema-level representations) in the relationship between recalled parenting in childhood and major depression in adulthood, comparing a group of depressed outpatients (N = 60) with a healthy community sample (N = 67). The depressed group were differentiated by poorer perceived parenting (low care and high overprotection) and by three unhealthy core beliefs (defectiveness/shame, self-sacrifice, and insufficient self-control). Among nonclinical participants, it appears that vulnerability to harm beliefs act as a partial mediator of the relationship between poor paternal care and the development of depressive features. In contrast, a broader set of core beliefs appears to mediate the relationship of maternal bonding and paternal overprotection with depressive symptoms among the depressed group. The findings suggest that clinical work with adults with major depression might need to take account of parental style. Where parents are reported to be uncaring or overprotective, cognitive-behavioral therapy might need to include a schema-focused component.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Reading men's faces: women's mate attractiveness judgments track men's testosterone and interest in infants.

This study investigated whether women track possible cues of paternal and genetic quality in men's faces and then map perception of those cues onto mate attractiveness judgments. Men's testosterone concentrations served as a proxy for genetic quality given evidence that this hormone signals immunocompetence, and men's scores on an interest in infants test were chosen as prima facie markers of paternal quality. Women's perceptions of facial photographs of these men were in fact sensitive to these two variables: men's scores on the interest in infants test significantly predicted women's ratings of the photos for how much the men like children, and men's testosterone concentrations significantly predicted women's ratings of the men's faces for masculinity. Furthermore, men's actual and perceived affinity for children predicted women's long-term mate attractiveness judgments, while men's testosterone and perceived masculinity predicted women's short-term mate attractiveness judgments. These results suggest that women can detect facial cues of men's hormone concentrations and affinity for children, and that women use perception of these cues to form mate attractiveness judgments.

Attitude↗
PubMed2006

Maternal modulation of natal dispersal in a passerine bird: an adaptive strategy to cope with parasitism?

The decision of how far to disperse from the natal territory has profound and long-lasting consequences for young animals, yet the optimal dispersal behavior often depends on environmental factors that are difficult or impossible to assess by inexperienced juveniles. Natural selection thus favors mechanisms that allow the adaptive and flexible adjustment of the offspring's dispersal behavior by their parents via either paternal or maternal effects. Here we show that different dispersal strategies maximize the reproductive success of young great tits (Parus major) originating from a parasite-infested or a parasite-free nest and demonstrate that differential transfer of maternal yolk androgens in response to parasitism can result in a modification of the offspring's dispersal behavior that appears adaptive. It demonstrates that prenatal maternal effects are an important yet so far neglected determinant of natal dispersal and highlights the potential importance of maternal effects in mediating coevolutionary processes in host-parasite systems.

Adaptation, Physiological↗
PubMed2006

Maternal recurrent mood disorders and high-functioning autism.

A quantitative examination was made of the association of parental mood and anxiety disorders with severity of disability within a large sample of young children with Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD). Maternal recurrent mood disorders were associated with elevated cognitive and adaptive functioning in their affected children, parent reports of increased behavior problems and teacher reports of an internalizing behavioral style. Maternal histories of anxiety disorders and paternal depression or anxiety disorders were not associated with levels of adaptive/cognitive functioning or levels of maladaptive behaviors in the children. Various genetic models are discussed. It is hypothesized that genes associated with recurrent depression in women may exert a "protective" effect on cognition and adaptive functioning in children with PDD.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2004

Depression in young adolescents: investigations using 2 and 3 factor versions of the Parental Bonding Instrument.

Associations between parenting style and depressive symptomatology in a community sample of young adolescents (N = 2596) were investigated using self-report measures including the Parental Bonding Instrument and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Specifically, the 25-item 2-factor and 3-factor models by Parker et al. (1979), Kendler's (1996) 16-item 3-factor model, and Parker's (1983) quadrant model for the Parental Bonding Instrument were compared. Data analysis included analysis of variance and logistic regression. Reanalysis of Parker's original scale indicates that overprotection is composed of separate factors: intrusiveness (at the individual level) and restrictiveness (in the social context). All models reveal significant independent contributions from paternal care, maternal care, and maternal overprotection (2-factor) or intrusiveness (3-factor) to moderate and serious depressive symptomatology, controlling for sex and family living arrangement. Additive rather than multiplicative interactions between care and overprotection were found. Regardless of the level of parental care and affection, clinicians should note that maternal intrusiveness is strongly associated with adverse psychosocial health in young adolescents.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Perceptions of parental communication orientation, perfectionism, and disordered eating behaviors of sons and daughters.

This study investigated the influence of perceived parental communication orientation and individual perfectionism on late adolescent offspring's maladaptive eating behaviors using a nonclinical sample ( N=424). College students' perceptions of their communication patterns with parents, self- and parentally prescribed perfectionism, and perceptions of personal control were measured to explore possible associations among these variables and whether they, in combination, predicted maladaptive eating. Results revealed that 23% of the sample participated in maladaptive eating behaviors; in addition, a father-child conformity communication pattern and paternally prescribed perfectionism predicted maladaptive eating within this sample when controlling for individual factors such as offspring's perfectionism and perceived loss of personal control. These findings suggest that father-child communicative interaction that emphasizes conformity to high paternal standards may increase offspring's risk of developing maladaptive eating behaviors.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2007

Perceived parenting behavior in the childhood of cocaine users: relationship with genotype and personality traits.

Low parental care during childhood, a pattern characteristic of an "affectionless control" rearing style was frequently reported in the history of addicted individuals. Parents' childrearing regimes and children's genetic predispositions, with their own behavioral characteristics, have been seen to be closely interwoven, probably affecting children's development and addictive behavior susceptibility. In the present study, parents care perception, aggressive personality traits, and genotype (serotonin transporter promoter gene--5-HTTLPR) have been investigated in cocaine users and healthy control subjects. PBI scores (maternal and paternal care) were lower and BDHI scores (aggressiveness) higher in cocaine users in comparison with controls and significant differences in the perception of either paternal or maternal care were observed between cocaine users and non-users. The short-short (SS) genotype frequency was significantly higher among cocaine users compared with control subjects (P = 0.04). Logistic regression proves that persons bearing the SS genotype have a risk of becoming cocaine user almost three times higher than those having the LL genotype. Estimations of the effects of other factors potentially affecting the risk of being cocaine addicted clearly prove the significant impact of aggressiveness: the highest the score, the highest the risk of becoming cocaine user. Moreover, paternal and maternal care perception significantly improve the fit of the model (the log likelihood decreases passing from -105.9 to -89.8, LR test = 32.17, P-value = 0.0000). Each unit increase in the PBI score yields a significant 12% and 10% decrease of the risk of becoming cocaine user, respectively for paternal and maternal care. Interestingly, once controlled for the PBI score, the relative risk associated to the SS genotype drops strikingly and becomes no longer statistically significant. On the whole, our preliminary data suggest that the association between 5-HT transporter polymorphism and psycho-stimulant use may be mediated by mother-child relationship and parental attachment perception, both being environmental and genetic factors involved in the proneness to substance use disorders, particularly in aggressive-antisocial individuals.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1981

Occurrence of down syndrome and human sexual behavior.

We analyzed the sexual habits of 80 mothers of normal children and of 33 mothers of children with the Down syndrome (DS). The data were obtained through the psychological interview technique. Unusually long intervals between intercourse at the time of conception were reported more frequently by mothers of DS children. Independent of the mother's age there was an association between the incidence of DS and long intervals between intercourse.

Coitus↗
PubMed1980

Father psychological absence and heterosexual behavior, personal adjustment and sex-typing in adolescent girls.

Until recently, research efforts have neglected the father as a significant influence on female personality development. This study proposed that the psychological absence of the father is related to a greater frequency and extent of heterosexual behaviors, increased anxiety as a personality trait and increased anxiety in a dating situation. A positive psychological presence of the father was hypothesized to correlate with androgyny in adolescent females. Measures of perceived parental behavior, extent and frequency of heterosexual behaviors, manifest anxiety and sex-role identification were obtained from 160 single female college students. Results indicated a significant relationship between father psychological absence and a greater extent and frequency of heterosexual behaviors. Father psychologically absent girls also exhibited greater manifest anxiety as a personality trait and in a dating situation. Significant correlations between androgyny and a positive father-daughter relationship were not found. Also reported were additional findings relating several variables to self-rating of attractiveness.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Father absence and adolescent "problem behaviors": alcohol consumption, drug use and sexual activity.

Among the issues faced by adolescents are problems relating to alcohol consumption, drug use, and sexual behavior. A survey of 813 adolescents found that adolescents are most likely to discuss these problems with peers and least likely to discuss them with parents, especially fathers. However, father absence from the home resulted in greater use of and problems with alcohol, marijuana, and sexual activity. This was the case especially for boys. The results obtained underscore the significance of the father as a key figure in the transmission of values and as a deterrent to certain behaviors. The results point to adolescents from fatherless homes, especially boys, as being at risk for problems in the areas noted. This suggests that community agencies providing services to adolescents should make special efforts to incorporate into their programs specially designed services to meet the particular needs of this group. Aspects of such programs are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

The genetic basis of family conflict resolution in mice.

Asymmetries in the costs and benefits of parental investment for mothers, fathers and offspring result in family conflict over the production and provisioning of young. In species where females provide most resources before and after birth, the resolution of this conflict may be influenced by genes expressed in mothers and by maternally and paternally inherited genes expressed in offspring. Here we disentangle these effects by means of reciprocal mating and cross-fostering of litters between two strains of mice that differ with respect to the typical resolution of family conflict. We find that differences in litter size between these two strains are determined by paternal genotype, whereas differences in provisioning are under maternal control, showing that there is antagonistic coadaptation of maternal and paternal effects on distinct life-history traits. Maternal provisioning is also influenced by the type of foster offspring. Contradictory to theoretical expectations, however, we find no evidence for a negative correlation across strains between maternal provisioning and offspring demand. Instead, we show that there is positive coadaptation such that offspring obtain more resources from foster mothers of the same strain as their natural mother, irrespective of their father's strain.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Paternal care of infants during maternal separations: associations with father-infant interaction at one year.

Observations of father-infant interaction in the home environment at age one year were compared for two groups of infants that in the months preceding the observations differed in the amount of experience they had with their fathers when the mother was outside the home. The sample consisted of 46 middle-class families, each with a first-born infant (23 males, 23 females). Estimates of the amount of experience the father had with the infant when the mother was outside the home were obtained from detailed maternal interviews that addressed all mother-infant separations. At one year, fathers who provided more extensive care in the absence of the mother showed a higher degree of breadth or variety in their patterns of engaging the infant and higher rates of behavior directed to the infant. These infants showed higher rates of responding to their fathers and more frequent instances of exploratory behavior. Distinctive patterns of differences were evident in the behavior of fathers and infants who had contrasting amounts of experience with each other in social contexts without the mother.

Child Development↗