Graduation Date
Summer 2025
Document Type
Thesis
Program
Master of Arts degree with a major in Psychology, option Academic Research
Committee Chair Name
Dr. Amanda Hahn
Committee Chair Affiliation
Cal Poly Humboldt Faculty or Staff
Second Committee Member Name
Dr. Amber Gaffney
Second Committee Member Affiliation
Cal Poly Humboldt Faculty or Staff
Third Committee Member Name
Dr. Ethan Gahtan
Third Committee Member Affiliation
Cal Poly Humboldt Faculty or Staff
Keywords
Testosterone, Paternal care, Parental care motivation, Fatherhood, Simulated caregiving, Hormonal reactivity
Subject Categories
Psychology
Abstract
Paternal investment and caregiving quality have lasting impacts on children's well-being. Children with sensitive, involved fathers typically develop more secure attachments and have fewer behavioral and psychological problems than children with less sensitive and involved fathers. While the importance of fathers’ engagement with their children is well established, the biological mechanisms that underpin paternal behavior are not fully understood. Previous research has found that baseline testosterone levels and testosterone reactivity to infant stimuli are both relevant predictors of paternal sensitivity. Short-term decreases in testosterone in nurturant contexts, and short-term increases in testosterone in challenging contexts have both been linked to sensitive paternal caregiving. This study examined the relationship between parental care motivation and testosterone reactivity in fathers and non-fathers during simulated caregiving interactions. Participants interacted with the RealCare Baby 3 infant simulator in two conditions: nurturant caregiving and observing infant distress. We hypothesized that nurturant caregiving would decrease testosterone, while observing infant distress would increase it. We also expected higher parental care motivation and greater testosterone responses among fathers compared to non-fathers. Preliminary analyses from a partially complete sample (N = 19) did not support the primary hypotheses. However, exploratory analyses identified notable findings. Baseline testosterone levels predicted parental care motivation (p = .008), marking the first hormonal correlate of parental care motivation in men. Affective responses and dispositional tendencies influenced testosterone changes: anxiety increases predicted testosterone decreases during nurturant caregiving (p = .006), while discomfort observing others’ distress predicted testosterone increases during infant distress (p = .006). These relationships were consistent across fathers and non-fathers. These findings suggest that interest in infants is linked to testosterone levels and that individual differences in affective and dispositional factors shape hormonal responses to caregiving contexts in men, regardless of fatherhood status.
Citation Style
APA
Recommended Citation
Boone, Nathan, "Testosterone reactivity and parental care motivation in men as a function of parental status" (2025). Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects. 2314.
https://digitalcommons.humboldt.edu/etd/2314