Anthony Vaccaro
@agvacca.bsky.social
Research Assistant Professor at UNC Psych & Neuro/Winston Center | Brains, Media-use, and Messy Feelings
anthonygvaccaro.com
anthonygvaccaro.com
I definitely think there's always some degree of fluctuation going on, as well as some meta-awareness of that ongoing fluctuation which is probably important for distinguishing it from "I felt x and then that stopped and I felt y"/
September 17, 2025 at 11:08 PM
I definitely think there's always some degree of fluctuation going on, as well as some meta-awareness of that ongoing fluctuation which is probably important for distinguishing it from "I felt x and then that stopped and I felt y"/
Shout to senior author @darbysaxbe.bsky.social for supporting this work, as well as my co-authors @philnewsomejr.bsky.social , @ywaizman.bsky.social , and Geoff Corner.
August 29, 2025 at 12:23 PM
Shout to senior author @darbysaxbe.bsky.social for supporting this work, as well as my co-authors @philnewsomejr.bsky.social , @ywaizman.bsky.social , and Geoff Corner.
Further studying the distinctions in how these affective processes develop in new parents can help us understand the complex factors distinguishing normative negative emotions in new parenthood from those which may represent risks to overall well-being and mental health.
August 29, 2025 at 12:23 PM
Further studying the distinctions in how these affective processes develop in new parents can help us understand the complex factors distinguishing normative negative emotions in new parenthood from those which may represent risks to overall well-being and mental health.
Our results may suggest that biopsychological adaptations to fatherhood involve distinct neural networks for different aspects of the experience. Not just about feeling good or bad - they involve separate neural processes for meaning-making versus immediate emotional responses.
August 29, 2025 at 12:23 PM
Our results may suggest that biopsychological adaptations to fatherhood involve distinct neural networks for different aspects of the experience. Not just about feeling good or bad - they involve separate neural processes for meaning-making versus immediate emotional responses.
Each measure related to distinct changes. For example: meaning was associated with connectivity changes in insula, thalamus, and frontal pole, positive parenting feelings with ACC, supramarginal gyrus, and caudate, and parenting stress with cerebellum and postcentral gyrus.
August 29, 2025 at 12:23 PM
Each measure related to distinct changes. For example: meaning was associated with connectivity changes in insula, thalamus, and frontal pole, positive parenting feelings with ACC, supramarginal gyrus, and caudate, and parenting stress with cerebellum and postcentral gyrus.
But these are on average. Could individual differences in connectivity tell us about the parenting paradox? We tested connectivity changes associated with meaning, positive feelings about parenting, and negative feelings about parenting, each while controlling for the other two affect measures.
August 29, 2025 at 12:23 PM
But these are on average. Could individual differences in connectivity tell us about the parenting paradox? We tested connectivity changes associated with meaning, positive feelings about parenting, and negative feelings about parenting, each while controlling for the other two affect measures.
In 35 of these fathers, we did brain scans before and after birth.We found increases in resting-state connectivity in temporal poles, angular gyrus, and thalamus, and decreases in frontal pole and ACC - the first longitudinal analysis of resting state connectivity in new fathers!
August 29, 2025 at 12:23 PM
In 35 of these fathers, we did brain scans before and after birth.We found increases in resting-state connectivity in temporal poles, angular gyrus, and thalamus, and decreases in frontal pole and ACC - the first longitudinal analysis of resting state connectivity in new fathers!
In 88 new fathers, there was a roughly even split in whether their personal meaning (the sense that life has purpose and coherence), increased or decreased (contrary to our expectations!) Postpartum meaning was strongly associated with parenting stress.
August 29, 2025 at 12:23 PM
In 88 new fathers, there was a roughly even split in whether their personal meaning (the sense that life has purpose and coherence), increased or decreased (contrary to our expectations!) Postpartum meaning was strongly associated with parenting stress.