We conducted the first experimental tests of the impact of men's access to paid parental leave on anticipated well-being among heterosexual men and women in the United States. Participants read a news article reporting that paid paternity leave was either likely or unlikely in the United States in the near future, completed a future life-brainstorming task designed to make this scenario more salient, and reported anticipated outcomes pertaining to well-being (predicted relationship satisfaction, positive and negative emotions, and life satisfaction). Results from an online sample (Experiment 1, N = 694) revealed that both men and women predicted more positive outcomes when they believed paid paternity leave would (vs. would not) exist. In contrast, results from students (Experiment 2, N = 199) revealed that women predicted better outcomes in the leave (vs. no leave) condition, while men predicted consistently positive outcomes regardless of condition. Looking at the interaction the other way, paternity leave closed a gender gap in anticipated well-being favoring men. Exploratory analyses revealed that students anticipated increased relationship gender equality in division of labor as a result of paternity leave, but only in gender counter-stereotypic domains (i.e., paid work outside the home for women; unpaid childcare and housework for men).

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期待更好：关于男性获得育儿假对预期幸福的好处的实验调查

我们对男性获得带薪育儿假对美国异性恋男性和女性预期幸福感的影响进行了首次实验测试。参与者阅读了一篇新闻报道，报道称在不久的将来在美国有可能或不可能有带薪陪产假，完成了一项旨在使这种情况更加突出的未来生活头脑风暴任务，并报告了与福祉有关的预期结果（预测关系满意度、积极和消极情绪以及生活满意度）。在线样本（实验 1，N = 694）的结果显示，当男性和女性认为带薪陪产假会（与不存在）存在时，他们都会预测出更积极的结果。相比之下，学生的结果（实验 2，N= 199) 显示，女性预测休假（与不休假）情况相比会有更好的结果，而男性则无论情况如何都预测出始终如一的积极结果。反过来看这种互动，陪产假缩小了男性在预期幸福感方面的性别差距。探索性分析显示，学生预计陪产假会增加分工中的关系性别平等，但仅限于性别反刻板印象领域（即女性在家庭以外的有偿工作；男性无偿育儿和家务）。