Activation parenting in mothers and fathers: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Level 1 - systematic review of randomized trials
systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies (by design analogy)
PubMed 42200809 · doi:10.1002/imhj.70101
What was done
Authors conducted a systematic review and two meta-analyses to examine mean differences and correlations in activation parenting (stimulating and challenging interactions within acceptable limits) between partnered mothers and fathers. The meta-analyses included 40 studies (38 unique samples, 76.3% from North America) comprising 3,607 fathers, 3,707 mothers, and their children (mean age = 41.4 months, range = 3 months to 19.9 years).
What was found
Fathers displayed higher activation parenting than mothers with a small effect size: g = 0.27 (95% CI [0.17, 0.37], p < 0.001), with larger differences observed in studies examining rough-and-tumble play. There was also a significant positive correlation between partnered parents' activation parenting levels: r = 0.33 (95% CI [0.19, 0.45], p < 0.001).
Why it matters
This review clarifies conflicting literature on parental roles by showing a consistent, small tendency for fathers to exhibit more activation parenting than mothers, while also demonstrating that partnered parents tend to align their stimulating parenting styles.
Limits
The included literature is demographically restricted, as 76.3% of samples were from North America and most parents were white and of mid-to-high socioeconomic status. The analysis was limited to partnered parents and relied on observational data across widely varying child ages (infancy to late adolescence).
Cited by
- supports Research shows that fathers specifically engage in more physically demanding, vigorous play with their children.