BioOne.org will be down briefly for maintenance on 12 February 2025 between 18:00-21:00 Pacific Time US. We apologize for any inconvenience.
How to translate text using browser tools
1 April 2006 Differential Parental Investment in the Southwestern United States
Melinda F. Davis, Cordelia B. Guggenheim, Aurelio José Figueredo, Catherine J. Locke
Author Affiliations +
Abstract

The Trivers-Willard model (1973) predicts differential parental investment in children by sex and income; wealthier families will invest more in boys, while poorer families will invest more in girls. We investigated the TW Hypothesis in a sample of 103 six month old Tucson babies and their mothers. Hierarchical multiple regression equations were used entering baby's age, baby's sex, mother's age, male paternal commitment, a dichotomous poverty measure, per capita income, and four interaction terms, baby's sex by 1 ) mother's age 2) mother's education, 3) male paternal commitment, 4) poverty, and 5) per capita income. We included three dependent variables in successive regression equations; mother's attitudes towards ideal baby size for boy versus girl babies, weeks breast fed and the baby's weight at six months. These variables measure attitude, behavior, and physical outcomes. Poverty was a significant predictor of differential preference in ideal body size for boys versus girls; poor mothers preferred bigger baby girls. There was no evidence of differential preference in breast feeding. Education was also a significant predictor; but in the opposite direction than predicted by the TWH. Mothers with higher levels of education had heavier baby girls. Within Hispanics only, poverty was a significant predictor of sex-biased weight; poor mothers had heavier baby girls. This effect was not seen in Caucasians. These results provide mixed evidence for the Trivers-Willard model in a resource rich environment for humans.

Melinda F. Davis, Cordelia B. Guggenheim, Aurelio José Figueredo, and Catherine J. Locke "Differential Parental Investment in the Southwestern United States," Journal of the Arizona-Nevada Academy of Science 39(2), 65-72, (1 April 2006). https://doi.org/10.2181/036.039.0203
Published: 1 April 2006
RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS
Get copyright permission
Back to Top