Abstract
In fathers testosterone levels are suggested to decrease in the context of caregiving, but results seem inconsistent. In a meta-analysis including 50 study outcomes with N = 7,080 male participants we distinguished three domains of research, relating testosterone levels to parental status (Hedges’ g = 0.22, 95% CI: 0.09 to 0.35; N = 4,150), parenting quality (Hedges’ g = 0.14, 95% CI: 0.03 to 0.24; N = 2,164), and reactivity after exposure to child stimuli (Hedges’ g = 0.19, 95% CI: -0.03 to 0.42; N = 766). The sets of study outcomes on reactivity and on parenting quality were both homogeneous. Parental status and (higher) parenting quality were related to lower levels of testosterone, but according to conventional criteria combined effect sizes were small. Moderators did not significantly modify combined effect sizes. Results suggest that publication bias might have inflated the meta-analytic results, and the large effects of pioneering but small and underpowered studies in the domains of males’ parental status and parenting quality have not been consistently replicated. Large studies with sufficient statistical power to detect small testosterone effects and, in particular, the moderating effects of the interplay with other endocrine systems and with contextual determinants are required.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 104435 |
| Pages (from-to) | 1-11 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | Psychoneuroendocrinology |
| Volume | 110 |
| Early online date | 5 Sep 2019 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Dec 2019 |
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Keywords
- Challenge hypothesis
- Fathers
- Hormones
- Parental status
- Parenting
- Testosterone
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Challenging the challenge hypothesis on testosterone in fathers : Limited meta-analytic support. / Meijer, Willemijn M.; van IJzendoorn, Marinus H.; Bakermans - Kranenburg, Marian J.
In: Psychoneuroendocrinology, Vol. 110, 104435, 01.12.2019, p. 1-11.Research output: Contribution to Journal › Review article › Academic › peer-review
TY - JOUR
T1 - Challenging the challenge hypothesis on testosterone in fathers
T2 - Limited meta-analytic support
AU - Meijer, Willemijn M.
AU - van IJzendoorn, Marinus H.
AU - Bakermans - Kranenburg, Marian J.
PY - 2019/12/1
Y1 - 2019/12/1
N2 - In fathers testosterone levels are suggested to decrease in the context of caregiving, but results seem inconsistent. In a meta-analysis including 50 study outcomes with N = 7,080 male participants we distinguished three domains of research, relating testosterone levels to parental status (Hedges’ g = 0.22, 95% CI: 0.09 to 0.35; N = 4,150), parenting quality (Hedges’ g = 0.14, 95% CI: 0.03 to 0.24; N = 2,164), and reactivity after exposure to child stimuli (Hedges’ g = 0.19, 95% CI: -0.03 to 0.42; N = 766). The sets of study outcomes on reactivity and on parenting quality were both homogeneous. Parental status and (higher) parenting quality were related to lower levels of testosterone, but according to conventional criteria combined effect sizes were small. Moderators did not significantly modify combined effect sizes. Results suggest that publication bias might have inflated the meta-analytic results, and the large effects of pioneering but small and underpowered studies in the domains of males’ parental status and parenting quality have not been consistently replicated. Large studies with sufficient statistical power to detect small testosterone effects and, in particular, the moderating effects of the interplay with other endocrine systems and with contextual determinants are required.
AB - In fathers testosterone levels are suggested to decrease in the context of caregiving, but results seem inconsistent. In a meta-analysis including 50 study outcomes with N = 7,080 male participants we distinguished three domains of research, relating testosterone levels to parental status (Hedges’ g = 0.22, 95% CI: 0.09 to 0.35; N = 4,150), parenting quality (Hedges’ g = 0.14, 95% CI: 0.03 to 0.24; N = 2,164), and reactivity after exposure to child stimuli (Hedges’ g = 0.19, 95% CI: -0.03 to 0.42; N = 766). The sets of study outcomes on reactivity and on parenting quality were both homogeneous. Parental status and (higher) parenting quality were related to lower levels of testosterone, but according to conventional criteria combined effect sizes were small. Moderators did not significantly modify combined effect sizes. Results suggest that publication bias might have inflated the meta-analytic results, and the large effects of pioneering but small and underpowered studies in the domains of males’ parental status and parenting quality have not been consistently replicated. Large studies with sufficient statistical power to detect small testosterone effects and, in particular, the moderating effects of the interplay with other endocrine systems and with contextual determinants are required.
KW - Challenge hypothesis
KW - Fathers
KW - Hormones
KW - Parental status
KW - Parenting
KW - Testosterone
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85072259732&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85072259732&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.104435
DO - 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.104435
M3 - Review article
VL - 110
SP - 1
EP - 11
JO - Psychoneuroendocrinology
JF - Psychoneuroendocrinology
SN - 0306-4530
M1 - 104435
ER -