Odintsova O.Yu., Kryukova T.L. Involvement in fatherhood during the expectation of a baby: intra-family and personal determinants

Statement of the Problem. Increased involvement of men during the period of expectation of a child and their postnatal involvement in care and upbringing have a beneficial effect on the development of newborns and harmonize the entire family system. In this regard, the studying the involvement of future fathers during pregnancy is extremely relevant.

The purpose of the study. To investigate the intra-family and personal determinants of paternal involvement of a man during the period of expectation of a child within the couple.

Methods and respondents. The sample consists of 99 men aged 19 to 52 years old, who are in a partnership and expecting a child for the first time or again. The study was preceded by a questionnaire assessing behavioral markers of male involvement in pregnancy for both partners (N = 198), based on which the respondents were divided into 2 groups: 1) men with low involvement (N = 50); 2) men with high involvement (N = 49). The study used 3 blocks of tools to examine pregnancy-related stress, individual and dyadic coping with it, interpersonal relationships within the couple.

Findings. "Involved" men show less reactivity to everyday stressors and exert less effort to cope with them, while "uninvolved" men react more acutely to external stress. The strategy of weak involvement can be interpreted as protective, as it allows the individual to remain functional in addressing everyday issues, including those indirectly related to the well-being of the family as a whole. The strategy of distancing, which "uninvolved" men more frequently use, is analyzed similarly. It is noteworthy that "involved" men tend to use general dyadic coping. Accordingly, high involvement of men during pregnancy is characterized by joint stress experiences, coordinated efforts by the couple to overcome it, and a sense of closeness with the partner and a subjective feeling of happiness in the relationship contribute to it. 

Conclusion & Significance. The predictor of involvement of future fathers is both a personal factor (a tendency to positive reassessment) and a family factor (a sense of the functionality of one's own family and relationships).

Key words: involved fatherhood, man, woman, family, pregnancy, child, stress, coping, couple relationships

For citation: Odintsova, O.Yu., Kryukova, T.L. (2024). Involvement in fatherhood during the expectation of a child: intra-family and personal determinants. New Psychological Research, No. 3, 117–146. DOI: 10.51217/npsyresearch_2024_04_03_06