Paternal influences on infant temperament: Effects of father internalizing problems, parenting-related stress, and temperament

•We collected paternal characteristics and their reports of infant temperament.•Paternal characteristics predicted infant temperament at 4 and 6 months.•Paternal internalizing symptoms predicted infant negative affectivity at 4 and 6 months.•Paternal personality and parenting stress distinctively predicted infant temperament.•Infant sex moderated effects of paternal characteristics on infant temperament.

Temperament ratings were obtained from 98 fathers when their infants were 4 and 6 months of age to examine effects of paternal characteristics on infant temperament. Parental stress, internalizing symptoms, and father's temperament were considered as factors possibly contributing to differences in their child's temperament.