Dyad to triad: A longitudinal analysis of humor and pregnancy intention during the transition to parenthood

The transition to parenthood is a stressful life event that often leads to decreases in relationship satisfaction over time. Guided by the Stress Buffering Model, we examined how pregnancy intention and humor use are associated with relationship satisfaction across the transition to parenthood using a multi-wave longitudinal design. First-time parents were initially assessed prenatally and then every 6-month postpartum for 2 years. Six months after birth, each couple was video-recorded engaging in two support discussions where each partner’s use of different humor styles was observed and rated. The results revealed a positive association between affiliative humor use (assessed at 6-month postpartum) and relationship satisfaction (assessed across the entire transition) for men and women. For men only, there was an interaction between pregnancy intention (assessed prenatally) and aggressive humor use (assessed 6-month postpartum). Specifically, when the pregnancy was unplanned, men who displayed higher levels of aggressive humor at 6-month postpartum reported higher overall relationship satisfaction. There also was a significant interaction between men’s (but not women’s) affiliative humor use and pregnancy intention, such that when men reported an unplanned pregnancy, their greater use of affiliative humor buffered declines in their relationship satisfaction. These findings suggest that, for men, greater use of affiliative humor appears to forestall declines in their relationship satisfaction. More broadly, different forms of humor may promote or sustain higher levels of relationship satisfaction in men across the chronically stressful transition to parenthood because they serve key communicative functions.

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Is it me or you? First-time mothers’ attributions for postpartum sexual concerns are associated with sexual and relationship satisfaction in the transition to parenthood

Journal of Social and Personal Relationships ◽

10.1177/0265407517743086 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 35 (4) ◽

pp. 577-599 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Sarah A. Vannier ◽

Kaitlyn E. Adare ◽

Natalie O. Rosen

Keyword(s):

Relationship Satisfaction ◽

Intimate Relationships ◽

Sexual Functioning ◽

Transition To Parenthood ◽

Negative Consequences ◽

Four Dimensions ◽

Wide Range ◽

First Time Mothers ◽

Sexual Concerns ◽

First Time

Most first-time mothers experience a decline in both their sexual and relationship satisfaction from prepregnancy, which has negative consequences for the couple and their family. Prior studies have begun to identify risk and protective factors (e.g., empathy) for postpartum sexual and relationship satisfaction. Causal attributions for postpartum sexual concerns may be important because a specific cause can be difficult to pinpoint given the wide range of postpartum sexual problems among first-time parents. In the current study, 120 first-time mothers (3–12 months postpartum) completed validated measures assessing attributions for postpartum sexual concerns, sexual satisfaction, and relationship satisfaction. Attributions were measured on four dimensions: internal/external (i.e., is the sexual concern due to the self or the situation), stable/unstable (i.e., will the cause of the concern occur again in the future), global/specific (i.e., will the cause of the concern affect other situations), and partner responsibility (i.e., is the partner the cause). When new mothers reported more stable and partner attributions for postpartum sexual concerns, they were less sexually satisfied, and when they attributed greater responsibility for sexual concerns to their partners, they were less satisfied with their overall relationship. These associations remained significant after controlling for potential challenges that may also impact sexual and relationship satisfaction during this period (i.e., breastfeeding, sexual frequency, depressive symptoms, fatigue, sexual functioning). As postpartum sexual concerns are common, attributions for these changes may be a valuable target for interventions aimed at strengthening the intimate relationships of women making the transition to parenthood.

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I “get” you, babe: Reflective functioning in partners transitioning to parenthood

Journal of Social and Personal Relationships ◽

10.1177/0265407520905641 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 37 (6) ◽

pp. 1785-1805 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Jessica L. Borelli ◽

Arietta Slade ◽

Corey Pettit ◽

Dana Shai

Keyword(s):

Relationship Satisfaction ◽

Transition To Parenthood ◽

Developmental Psychology ◽

Reflective Functioning ◽

Well Being ◽

Relationship Functioning ◽

Attachment Avoidance ◽

Positive Communication ◽

Psychology Literature ◽

First Time

Reflective functioning (RF) is a construct that has gained tremendous traction in the developmental psychology literature, demonstrating robust associations with parent–child attachment and interactional quality. Although theorists argue that RF should have meaningful links with relationship quality across the life span, to date this construct has not been applied to the study of adult romantic partnerships. The goal of the present investigation is to introduce the construct of Partner RF, the capacity to reflect on the thoughts and feelings of one’s partner and to consider their roles in guiding behavior in one’s partner and oneself. Next, we explore the degree to which Partner RF is associated with a range of theoretically related constructs—one’s partner’s Partner RF, as well as one’s own parental RF, attachment, relationship satisfaction, and coparenting—in first-time parents. In a longitudinal study of N = 107 primiparous couples, we found positive associations between mothers’ and fathers’ Partner RF and between mother’s Partner RF and their parental RF. Partner RF is higher among women who report lower prenatal attachment avoidance and demonstrate more prenatal positive communication with their partners. Counterintuitively, higher levels of maternal Partner RF predict greater decreases in couple and coparenting satisfaction across the transition to parenthood. Partner RF may be an important construct to measure and understand in terms of its role in couple relationship functioning and parental well-being.

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Supplemental Material for Changes in Relationship Satisfaction Across the Transition to Parenthood: A Meta-Analysis

Journal of Family Psychology ◽

10.1037/a0017004.supp ◽

2009 ◽

Keyword(s):

Relationship Satisfaction ◽

Transition To Parenthood ◽

Meta Analysis

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Exploring the gateway hypothesis of e-cigarettes and tobacco: a prospective replication study among adolescents in the Netherlands and Flanders

Tobacco Control ◽

10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2021-056528 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. tobaccocontrol-2021-056528

Author(s):

Thomas Martinelli ◽

Math J J M Candel ◽

Hein de Vries ◽

Reinskje Talhout ◽

Vera Knapen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

The Netherlands ◽

Tobacco Use ◽

Tobacco Smoking ◽

Longitudinal Design ◽

Positive Association ◽

Cigarette Use ◽

Convenience Sample ◽

Frequent Use ◽

Never Smokers

BackgroundStudies demonstrated that adolescent e-cigarette use is associated with subsequent tobacco smoking, commonly referred to as the gateway effect. However, most studies only investigated gateways from e-cigarettes to tobacco smoking. This study replicates a cornerstone study revealing a positive association between both adolescent e-cigarette use and subsequent tobacco use; and tobacco and subsequent e-cigarette use in the Netherlands and Flanders.DesignThe longitudinal design included baseline (n=2839) and 6-month (n=1276) and 12-month (n=1025) follow-up surveys among a school-based cohort (mean age: 13.62). Ten high schools were recruited as a convenience sample. The analyses involved (1) associations of baseline e-cigarette use and subsequent tobacco smoking among never smokers; (2) associations of e-cigarette use frequency at baseline and tobacco smoking frequency at follow-up; and (3) the association of baseline tobacco smoking and subsequent e-cigarette use among non-users of e-cigarettes.FindingsConsistent with prior findings, baseline e-cigarette use was associated with higher odds of tobacco smoking at 6-month (OR=1.89; 95% CI 1.05 to 3.37) and 12-month (OR=5.63; 95% CI 3.04 to 10.42) follow-ups. More frequent use of e-cigarettes at baseline was associated with more frequent smoking at follow-ups. Baseline tobacco smoking was associated with subsequent e-cigarette use (OR=3.10; 95% CI 1.58 to 6.06 at both follow-ups).ConclusionOur study replicated the positive relation between e-cigarette use and tobacco smoking in both directions for adolescents. This may mean that the gateway works in two directions, that e-cigarette and tobacco use share common risk factors, or that both mechanisms apply.

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Parental Warmth, Gratitude, and Prosocial Behavior among Chinese Adolescents: The Moderating Effect of School Climate

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18137033 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (13) ◽

pp. 7033

Author(s):

Haocheng Luo ◽

Qingqi Liu ◽

Chengfu Yu ◽

Yangang Nie

Keyword(s):

School Climate ◽

Prosocial Behavior ◽

Longitudinal Design ◽

Positive Association ◽

Theoretical Explanation ◽

Parental Warmth ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

Low Levels ◽

Moderating Role

Parental warmth plays an important role in the development of adolescents’ physical and mental health. There are numerous empirical studies indicating a relationship between parental warmth and prosocial behavior among adolescents, although the underlying mechanisms of this association remain unclear. Adopting a longitudinal design across two time points, the present study proposes a moderated mediation model to explore the mediating role of gratitude and the moderating role of the school climate between parental warmth and prosocial behavior. The sample consisted of 943 participants (483 boys and 451 girls) who participated in the second assessment and completed questionnaires assessing gratitude, school climate, and prosocial behavior in April 2019. Their parents participated in the first assessment and completed a questionnaire pertaining to parental warmth in October 2018. After controlling for the gender and age of the adolescents, the results showed that the positive association between parental warmth and prosocial behavior is mediated by gratitude, and school climate does play a moderating role in the second half of the mediating path. Specifically, the school climate can play a protective role in adolescents with low levels of gratitude. For adolescents with less gratitude, a strong school climate can promote more prosocial behaviors and can effectively alleviate the negative prediction of low levels of gratitude. This study provides a theoretical explanation for the generation of adolescents’ prosocial behavior and provides theoretical guidance for the interventions of schools and parents.

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Managing Stress and School: The Role of Posttraumatic Stress in Predicting Well-Being and Collegiate Burnout

Emerging Adulthood ◽

10.1177/2167696818777106 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 7 (5) ◽

pp. 342-351 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Mallory Lucier-Greer ◽

Davina Quichocho ◽

Ross W. May ◽

Gregory S. Seibert ◽

Frank D. Fincham

Keyword(s):

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Posttraumatic Stress ◽

Undergraduate Students ◽

Traumatic Event ◽

Longitudinal Design ◽

Positive Association ◽

Well Being ◽

Self Control ◽

Risky Drinking ◽

School Burnout

Experiencing a traumatic event is generally posited to increase vulnerability. Informed by a stress process framework, this study investigated the relation of posttraumatic stress to depressive symptoms, risky drinking, and school burnout in emerging adulthood, a developmental period during which common behavioral and psychological disorders reach their peak. Whether self-control acts as a mechanism linking posttraumatic stress to these outcomes was also examined. Using a short-term longitudinal design ( N = 373 undergraduate students), we found a direct, positive association between heightened levels of posttraumatic stress and heightened depressive symptoms, risky drinking, and school burnout. Posttraumatic stress was also indirectly linked to depressive symptoms, risky drinking, and school burnout via self-control. Experiences of posttraumatic stress are thought to erode self-control capacity, and depleted self-control is thought to be adversely associated with mental health, decision-making, and school success. Implications for intervention across multiple lines of defense are discussed.

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Pregnancy Intentions During the Transition to Parenthood and Links to Coparenting for First-Time Fathers of Infants

Parenting ◽

10.1080/15295190802656729 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 9 (1-2) ◽

pp. 1-35 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Jacinta Bronte-Tinkew ◽

Mindy E. Scott ◽

Allison Horowitz ◽

Emily Lilja

Keyword(s):

Transition To Parenthood ◽

Pregnancy Intentions ◽

First Time

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Exploring the transition into fatherhood: behavioral, hormonal, and neural underpinnings of responses to infant crying

10.31234/osf.io/5bxk9 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Kim Alyousefi-van Dijk ◽

Sandra Thijssen ◽

Anna Elisabeth van 't Veer ◽

Renate S. M. Buisman ◽

Marinus H. van IJzendoorn ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Paternal Care ◽

Longitudinal Design ◽

Perinatal Period ◽

Postnatal Period ◽

Neural Activation ◽

Neural Responses ◽

Parental Sensitivity ◽

Infant Crying ◽

Neural Underpinnings ◽

First Time

In the present hypothesis generating study, behavioral and neural responses to infant crying, as well as paternal hormone levels, were measured in both the prenatal and early postnatal period. Using a longitudinal design, we investigated parental sensitivity, handgrip force, and neural activation in response to infant crying sounds, in addition to testosterone baseline levels, in 25 first-time fathers. We describe the extent to which these aspects of paternal care are related across the perinatal period. The current exploratory study adds to the understudied field of early paternal care by making recommendations, and proposing hypotheses for future studies.

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