Newswise — Five Questions for Daniel Kruger, PhD
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Daniel Kruger, PhD, is a social psychologist at the University of Michigan who focuses on evolutionary psychology. His work explores the balance between the social and natural sciences and how that contributes to a broader understanding of human behavior, including natural selection. To mark Father's Day, the American Psychological Association spoke with Dr. Kruger about how evolutionary psychological research and other psychology disciplines are helping to better understand men and their roles in an ever changing society.
APA. A new APA poll finds the economic downturn has been taking a toll on men, more so than women. Considering your work as an evolutionary psychologist, why do you think men are more affected during these stressful times?
Dr. Kruger: Men are more sensitive to the social hierarchy and their own relative position because social and economic power is one of the gender specific features that men are evaluated on by prospective romantic partners. Threats to social position and financial status take a toll on mental and physical health. Across cultures and history, men with greater social status and resources have more numerous and higher quality reproductive partners. Among mammals, especially primates, the contributions that human fathers make to support their offspring is quite substantial. Children who grow up without fathers present have a higher risk across a range of adverse behaviors and conditions in modern societies and have higher mortality rates in non-industrial societies.
APA. From a historical perspective, how does the state of the economy affect a father's relationship with his children?
The stress of financial difficulties could pose a strain on relationships both directly and indirectly. Tension may develop when children who are used to getting lots of new toys encounter newly frugal fathers. Men under financial strain may be more easily frustrated when difficulties arise and this could lead to more adverse interactions. On the other hand, some men will use the additional free time they have to interact more with their children, promoting better bonding and closer familial relationships.
APA. Some of your most recent research looks at men who spend rather than save. Your findings showed that men who spend relatively more of their assets rather than building up savings have more sexual partners. Why do you think this is?
Dr. Kruger: Men vary in their life history strategy; some men allocate a greater portion of their time and resources towards mating effort for attracting sexual partners. These men will use a greater portion of their finances for advertising economic status. Once men get settled in long-term relationships, they may shift their investment to support their families and save for the future.
APA. It appears men are being laid off more frequently than women in recent months, which means women are becoming the sole earners in their households. How does this impact a man's sense of identity as provider for his family and his role as a father?
Dr. Kruger: Men are expected to play the role of economic provider and those who do not meet this societal norm may be seen as a failure. The stress of perceiving this reaction from family and community members may be especially powerful. Even when a man's wife can earn a much higher salary than him, people will find it strange if he stays home to take care of the household. Rather than being embraced as a gender equalizer, the lone man in parenting groups will often get the cold shoulder because he is seen as an interloper. It will be difficult for men to transition into the role of homemaker and some men may spend their time searching for jobs and otherwise attempting to regain their status as a provider rather than focusing on caretaking.
APA. Moving forward, how do you see the role of fathers evolving?
Dr. Kruger: Over time, families will become even more flexible with parenting responsibilities, but I doubt that we will ever see a reversal or even equalization of gender roles. Men are much more willing than women to sacrifice time with their families in order to advance their careers. Our evolved psychology has been shaped over many millennia and our culture changes much faster than our genetic evolution. In the past century we saw the emergence of nuclear families as the operational family unit in western cultures. Economic contractions may increase the prevalence of extended families that consolidate resources into one household and fathers may expand their role as caretakers for their parents and/or in-laws as well as children.
The American Psychological Association, in Washington, D.C., is the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States and is the world's largest association of psychologists. APA's membership includes more than 150,000 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. Through its divisions in 54 subfields of psychology and affiliations with 60 state, territorial and Canadian provincial associations, APA works to advance psychology as a science, as a profession and as a means of promoting health, education and human welfare.
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