Guys and Dolls, and Testosterone

SYNOPSIS Zeifman et al. present a study of fathers’ and non-fathers’ caregiving in response to infant crying. The associations among testosterone, amount of crying, and parental status were evaluated in a laboratory paradigm using a realistic infant simulator. Although fathers did not show lower levels of testosterone, men who listened to greater amounts of crying showed significant increases in testosterone, and men who increased in testosterone had less optimal caregiving. Hormonal influences on parental behavior, which have been studied extensively in non-human animals, are now being explicated in humans. Zeifman et al. help advance this area of research.