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- 🧠 Fathers with higher alexithymia scores exhibited lower-quality coparenting, which negatively affected their children’s prosocial behavior.
- 🔬 Increased testosterone reactivity to stress in fathers correlated with poorer parenting interactions and decreased emotional sensitivity.
- 👶 Children whose fathers had both high alexithymia and elevated testosterone reactivity displayed fewer prosocial behaviors at age two.
- 💡 Strong coparenting relationships contribute to children’s emotional security and improved social interactions later in life.
- 🏡 Fathers can enhance their parenting by improving emotional awareness, managing stress responses, and fostering cooperative co-parenting environments.
Does Fathers’ Testosterone Affect Kids’ Behavior?
Parenting plays a crucial role in shaping a child’s emotional and social development. Recent research suggests that fathers’ emotional awareness (or lack thereof) and testosterone levels may influence their children’s ability to develop prosocial behaviors—voluntary actions that benefit others, such as sharing and empathy. A new study published in Hormones and Behavior explores how fathers’ testosterone responses to stress and emotional regulation skills impact their parenting quality and, ultimately, their children’s social behaviors by the age of two.
Understanding Prosocial Behavior and Its Importance in Child Development
Prosocial behavior refers to voluntary actions intended to help others, such as sharing, comforting, cooperating, and expressing empathy. Developing these behaviors in early childhood is crucial for emotional intelligence, relationship-building, and long-term social success.
Children begin exhibiting prosocial behaviors as early as infancy. As they grow, these behaviors are reinforced through observation, direct teaching, social interactions, and emotional experiences. While some aspects of prosocial behavior are believed to be biologically ingrained, caregivers play a significant role in fostering and strengthening them.
Key Benefits of Developing Prosocial Behaviors
Prosocial skills provide numerous lifelong advantages:
- 🤝 Better Social Skills – Children who engage in prosocial behavior tend to form more positive relationships with peers and adults.
- 🧠 Enhanced Emotional Intelligence – Understanding and responding to others’ emotions support empathy and emotional regulation.
- 🎓 Improved Academic Performance – Cooperative learning and social engagement contribute to better problem-solving and cognitive development.
- 💡 More Effective Conflict Resolution – Children who demonstrate prosocial behaviors can manage disputes constructively.
- 😊 Overall Emotional Well-Being – Strong social relationships and positive interactions lead to greater life satisfaction and stability.
Given these benefits, fostering prosocial behavior is a critical aspect of early childhood development, and parental influences—both biological and psychological—play a significant role in shaping these behaviors.
The Father’s Role in Early Social and Emotional Development
Fathers are increasingly recognized as key contributors to their children’s emotional and social growth. Their involvement can impact everything from emotional regulation to language development and self-confidence.
How Fathers Shape Social Competence
While both parents help instill social-emotional skills, studies suggest unique aspects of father-child interactions:
- Emotion Regulation Learning – Fathers’ emotional expression models healthy coping mechanisms for stress and frustration.
- Active Play and Problem-Solving – Fathers often engage in physical and exploratory play, helping children build resilience and independence.
- Social Bonding and Security – Emotionally present fathers support a child’s sense of safety and psychological well-being.
Moreover, research shows that fathers who engage in positive coparenting and active caregiving raise children with higher self-esteem and more developed prosocial abilities. However, biological and psychological factors—including testosterone levels and emotional awareness—can shape fatherhood behaviors in complex ways.
Testosterone and Parenting: What Science Says
Testosterone, a hormone primarily associated with competitiveness, assertiveness, and aggression, also influences social bonding and parental care. Interestingly, research indicates that testosterone levels in men decrease after they become fathers, supporting a shift toward nurturing and caregiving behaviors.
Testosterone’s Influence on Paternal Behavior
Testosterone fluctuations can affect the quality of paternal caregiving. Key findings from past research reveal:
- Lower testosterone in fathers supports bonding – Studies show that heightened interaction with infants correlates with lower testosterone levels over time.
- Stress-induced testosterone spikes can reduce sensitivity – When fathers experience stressful parenting situations, a rise in testosterone may lead to less nurturing and more withdrawn behavior.
- Higher post-stress testosterone is linked to decreased coparenting quality – Fathers with strong testosterone reactivity may struggle with patience and emotional attunement.
The study in Hormones and Behavior explored this connection further by examining how testosterone reactivity influences father-child interactions and children’s prosocial tendencies.
What is Alexithymia? Understanding Emotional Awareness in Fathers
Alexithymia is a psychological condition characterized by difficulty identifying, processing, and expressing emotions. Individuals with high alexithymia scores may have trouble recognizing their own emotions and responding appropriately to interpersonal cues.
How Alexithymia Affects Parenting
When fathers struggle with emotional awareness, it impacts their parenting in multiple ways:
- Reduced Sensitivity to a Child’s Emotional Needs – A less emotionally responsive parent may not recognize or adequately respond to moments when a child is distressed or in need of comfort.
- Limited Emotional Expressiveness – Children learn emotional regulation through parental cues; fathers with alexithymia model restricted emotional communication.
- Inconsistencies in Parental Warmth – Emotional disconnection may lead to unpredictable or indifferent caregiving behaviors.
The intersection of testosterone reactivity and alexithymia presented a compelling area for investigation in the recent study—highlighting how biological and psychological barriers collectively impact father-child dynamics and subsequent child development.
The Study: Investigating Testosterone, Emotional Awareness, and Prosocial Behavior
A research team conducted a longitudinal study in Israel with 105 expectant fathers, tracking their emotional traits, hormonal responses, and parenting behaviors over two years.
Key Study Components
- Pre-Birth Alexithymia Assessment – Fathers completed the Toronto Alexithymia Scale, measuring difficulty in emotional awareness.
- Testing Testosterone Reactivity – The Inconsolable Doll Task simulated parenting stress, allowing for testosterone response measurement.
- Coparenting Quality Evaluation – Three months after birth, fathers and partners reported on their coparenting interactions.
- Child Prosocial Behavior Assessment – At two years old, researchers observed how toddlers responded to helping tasks (e.g., assisting with dropped objects).
Major Study Findings
- Fathers with higher alexithymia exhibited lower-quality coparenting.
- Fathers whose testosterone spiked under stress showed poorer parenting interactions.
- Children raised by fathers with both high alexithymia and elevated testosterone reactivity displayed reduced prosocial behaviors at age two.
These results suggest that children of emotionally unaware and stress-reactive fathers may receive less consistent emotional support and engagement, which can influence the development of empathy and cooperation.
Why Coparenting Quality Matters in Childhood Development
Strong coparenting—where both parents work collaboratively in caregiving—provides children with stability, security, and emotional consistency. Conversely, poor coparenting can lead to inconsistent caregiving and stress, diminishing the child’s ability to learn social and emotional skills effectively.
Strengthening Coparenting for Better Outcomes
- Developing Open Communication Techniques – Encouraging transparent and supportive conversations fosters better emotional attunement.
- Engaging in Shared Parenting Responsibilities – Cooperative childcare involvement strengthens a child’s security and emotional development.
- Seeking Support for Stress and Emotional Awareness – Mindfulness practices, therapy, and education reduce stress-related parenting difficulties.
Implications for Fathers and Parenting Practices
Understanding these biological and psychological influences allows fathers to take proactive steps toward better parenting:
- Enhancing Emotional Intelligence – Emotional regulation strategies can help fathers communicate emotions more effectively.
- Developing Stress Management Techniques – Techniques like deep breathing, therapy, and mindfulness can mitigate stress-induced testosterone spikes.
- Engaging in Parenting Workshops and Support Networks – Learning about child development and coparenting enhances parental collaboration.
Fathers’ emotional awareness and testosterone responses to stress significantly influence their parenting approach and, in turn, their children’s prosocial behavior. Higher alexithymia and stress-induced testosterone increases correlate with lower-quality coparenting and reduced social engagement in children. By fostering emotional intelligence, improving coparenting cohesion, and developing healthier stress management strategies, fathers can create more emotionally supportive environments for their children—ultimately nurturing their social and empathetic development.
Citations
Zamir, O., Oved, N., Szepsenwol, O., Estlein, R., Borelli, J. L., Granger, D. A., & Shai, D. (2024). The intersection between alexithymia, testosterone reactivity, and coparenting in fathers predicts child’s prosocial behavior. Hormones and Behavior. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yhbeh.2024.105565
