Fathers of daughters prioritize romantic relationships

Researchers in the United States found that fathers of daughters demonstrate a stronger commitment to their romantic relationships with the children’s mothers than fathers of sons.

The team, led by Krystal Duarte and Kristina M. Durante, conducted three studies to understand how a child’s sex influences a father’s behavior. They based their work on paternal investment theory, which proposes that fathers model relationship behavior for their children, especially daughters who look to them to assess potential partners.

In the first study, 184 parents reported their levels of attachment and satisfaction in their relationships, and fathers of daughters scored higher on these measures than fathers of sons. A second study analyzed data from 587 couples over nine years and showed mothers of daughters reported receiving more support from partners soon after childbirth.

The researchers then tracked 168 first-time parents from pregnancy through two years after birth, finding fathers of daughters became more satisfied with their relationships and showed less anxiety about them. These changes appeared to be specific to the romantic relationship, as parenting behaviors did not differ based on the child’s sex. The researchers noted this effect isn’t large enough to predict any single father’s behavior, but the consistent results across multiple studies suggest a real pattern.

They also clarified that fathers of sons weren’t necessarily worse partners, but fathers of daughters showed a unique increase in behavior focused on strengthening their pair bond. The researchers plan to continue investigating how early family experiences shape adult behavior and how mothers might influence the development of sons versus daughters.