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Review
. 2022 Nov;93(6):1631-1648.
doi: 10.1111/cdev.13832. Epub 2022 Jul 29.

A meta-analysis on observed paternal and maternal sensitivity

Audrey-Ann Deneault  1 , Natasha J Cabrera  2 , Jean-François Bureau  3
Affiliations
Review

A meta-analysis on observed paternal and maternal sensitivity

Audrey-Ann Deneault et al. Child Dev. 2022 Nov.

Abstract

Two meta-analyses were conducted (N = 10,980 child-father dyads) with 93 studies published between 1983-2020, primarily in North America and Europe, on observed parental sensitivity to children (3-180 months; 48% girls; 14% non-White) in partnered mothers and fathers. The first meta-analysis found higher maternal mean levels of observed sensitivity, with a small effect size (d = -.27). Differences between parents were larger with micro coding and triadic/family assessments. Differences narrowed as a function of publication year and were not significant in European samples. The second meta-analysis identified a moderate correlation between observed maternal and paternal sensitivity (r = .23 after adjusting for probable publication bias). Correlations were larger in Middle Eastern samples and with composite sensitivity scales.

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References

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