Pleasure in parenting as a mediator between fathers' attachment representations and paternal sensitivity

J Fam Psychol. 2022 Apr;36(3):427-437. doi: 10.1037/fam0000905. Epub 2021 Aug 5.

Abstract

The present study examined the mediating role of pleasure in parenting in the link between fathers' attachment representations and paternal sensitivity among 138 father-infant dyads from a rural part of the southeastern United States. First-time fathers' attachment representations were assessed using the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) prenatally. Pleasure in parenting-a multidimensional construct assessing positive attitudes and beliefs toward the parenting role-was coded from fathers' interviews at 3 months. Paternal sensitivity was coded from father-infant play interactions at 12 months. Results indicated that fathers with secure-autonomous adult attachment representations showed more pleasure in parenting. In turn, fathers who took more pleasure in parenting also interacted more sensitively during father-infant interactions. Moreover, although the direct association between fathers' attachment representations and sensitivity was nonsignificant, the indirect effect from secure-autonomous representations to sensitivity via pleasure in parenting was significant. Findings suggest that first-time fathers' parenting attitudes may play a role in transmitting representations of early caregiving experiences to sensitive interactions with their own infants. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Father-Child Relations
  • Fathers / psychology
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Male
  • Object Attachment
  • Parenting* / psychology
  • Pleasure*