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Temporal dynamics of interpersonal trust during the transition to parenthood
Stavrova,Olga Reitz,Anne Evans,Anthony
Stavrova,Olga
Reitz,Anne
Evans,Anthony
Abstract
Theories and laboratory research in social psychology associate parenthood with increased vigilance and distrust. Yet, longitudinal studies examining whether the transition to parenthood affects trust in real life are lacking. We examined the temporal dynamics of trust surrounding the transition to parenthood in a sample of adults followed for up to 12 years. We used discontinuous change models and propensity score matching to compare first-time parents with matched childless individuals. Parenthood predicted a gradual trust increase following childbirth. The effect of the transition was unidirectional: Baseline trust level did not predict the likelihood of parenthood in the follow-up years. These findings contribute to the literature on how major life events, such as the transition to parenthood, shape interpersonal trust.
Description
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
Date
2022
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Volume Title
Publisher
Research Projects
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Keywords
ASSOCIATION, CUTENESS, CYNICAL BELIEFS, Discontinuous change models, EDUCATION, HEALTH, INCREASES, INFANT, LIFE SATISFACTION, PERSONALITY, Propensity score matching, TRAITS, Transition to parenthood, Trust
Citation
Stavrova, O, Reitz, A & Evans, A 2022, 'Temporal dynamics of interpersonal trust during the transition to parenthood', Journal of Research in Personality, vol. 97, 104188. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrp.2022.104188