Journal article 6 views
Is Parenthood Contributing to Emotional Wellbeing? The Neutrality Paradox and a Possible Resolution
,
Mark Sullman,
Agata Błachnio,
Ondrej Burysek,
Ekaterina Bushina,
Fran Calvo,
William Costello ,
Tetiana Hill,
Maria Galatiani Karageorgiou,
Yanina Lisun,
Denisse Manrique-Millones,
Oscar Manrique-Pino,
Yohsuke Ohtsubo ,
Aneta Przepiórka,
Burcu Tekeş,
Andrew Thomas ,
Yan Wang ,
Mads Larsen,
Sílvia Font-Mayolas
Evolutionary Psychology, Volume: 24, Issue: 1, Pages: 14747049261436325 - 14747049261436325
Swansea University Authors:
Ondrej Burysek, Andrew Thomas
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© The Author(s) 2026. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
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DOI (Published version): 10.1177/14747049261436325
Abstract
Evolutionary theorizing predicts that parenthood is associated with higher hedonic wellbeing (experiencing more positive and fewer negative emotions), higher eudaimonic wellbeing (experiencing greater meaning in life), and greater life satisfaction. To test this hypothesis, we analyzed a dataset com...
| Published in: | Evolutionary Psychology |
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| ISSN: | 1474-7049 1474-7049 |
| Published: |
SAGE Publications
2026
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| Online Access: |
Check full text
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| URI: | https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa71701 |
| Abstract: |
Evolutionary theorizing predicts that parenthood is associated with higher hedonic wellbeing (experiencing more positive and fewer negative emotions), higher eudaimonic wellbeing (experiencing greater meaning in life), and greater life satisfaction. To test this hypothesis, we analyzed a dataset comprising 5,556 participants drawn from 10 different nations. We found a small positive effect of parenthood on eudaimonic wellbeing, which was more pronounced for women. Conversely, we found virtually no differences between parents and nonparents across all measured dimensions of hedonic wellbeing and life satisfaction. Furthermore, for most dimensions, we did not detect significant interactions between parenthood status and sex, age, or relationship status. Additionally, participants with children reported lower relationship satisfaction than those without children; however, the observed difference was small. Our results contrast with evolutionary predictions, as well as empirical findings showing that parents perceive their children as sources of positive emotions and life purpose, creating a paradox for which we offer a possible resolution. |
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| Keywords: |
parenthood; neutrality paradox; emotional wellbeing; life satisfaction; meaning in life |
| College: |
Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences |
| Funders: |
The authors received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. |
| Issue: |
1 |
| Start Page: |
14747049261436325 |
| End Page: |
14747049261436325 |