Development of personality traits in response to childbirth: A longitudinal dyadic perspective

• This study examined the influence of childbirth on parents’ personality.
• The father’s Extraversion decreases after childbirth.
• Except for Extraversion, parents’ personality is highly stable.
• Mothers and fathers follow the same developmental trajectory and function in dyad.

To investigate the influence of childbirth on personality, the authors conducted a three-wave longitudinal research program (pregnancy, 6 months, and 1 year postpartum) using a multilevel modeling framework on 204 parental couples with parental group (primiparous vs. multiparous parents) as a time-invariant predictor and the partner’s development as a time-varying covariate and on childless couples as a control group. Results showed that the father’s Extraversion decreases after childbirth. Except for Extraversion, parents’ personality is highly stable. Moreover, when facing childbirth, mothers and fathers tend to follow the same developmental trajectory and hence to function in dyad. The discussion underlines the importance of the dyadic perspective to understand the childbirth experience.