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Open research questions in Family Dynamics and Relationships

1,223 gap statements mined from Family Dynamics and Relationships papers in our 7.9M-paper local library, which holds 12,241 papers on the topic — drawn mostly from each paper's own stated research gap, future-work, challenge and limitation notes, and its abstract. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one.

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What the literature leaves open

  • Another limitation of this study is that the IV we use to identify the effects of being an only child relies on the compliance levels of OCP in different provinces, which may be suboptimal. Future research is needed in the settings of developed countries. Limited by the dataset, we could not test all possible mechanisms, for example, peer effect, maternal health, or direct sibling support.

    Do fewer siblings lead to better mental health and subjective well-being? Evidence from China’s family planning policies · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a lack of research on the determinants of men's age at first childbearing. Prior studies have primarily focused on women's roles in reproductive decisions, with limited attention to men's perspectives and contributions. The study aims to address this gap by examining the personal and social predictors of men's age during their first transition to fatherhood.

    The Personal and Social Determinants with Men’s Age During Their First Transition to Fatherhood: A Case Study From Mashhad, Iran · 2026 · DOI

  • The gap in the literature is the lack of understanding of how involved fatherhood is understood and practiced in Poland. There is a need to examine the challenges of practicing involved fatherhood despite increasing cultural support. The study aims to fill this gap by exploring the concept of involved fatherhood in Poland.

    New Generation of Fathers in Poland: A Path to Gender Equality? · 2026 · DOI

  • This remains a critically understudied area in thinking about how mothers equip their daughters with the cognitive and emotional tools necessary to navigate life experiences, in so far as Black daughters perceive their mothers as a secure base of support and guidance—even when they have made a mistake or violated a family, school, or community norm.

    An Intergenerational Exploration of Discipline, Attachment, and Black Mother–Daughter Relationships Across the Lifespan · 2025 · DOI

  • Therefore, while our findings are consistent with health and well-being playing a small, complementary role, the primary mechanisms remain to be explored in future research. Fourth, our heterogeneity analysis was limited to age and residence.

    The positive correlation between physical exercise and the fertility intention of women of childbearing age: an empirical analysis based on the Chinese General Social Survey · 2026 · DOI

  • Deciding when to become a father for the first time is shaped by personal and social factors, yet little is known about the determinants of men’s age at first childbearing.

    The Personal and Social Determinants with Men’s Age During Their First Transition to Fatherhood: A Case Study From Mashhad, Iran · 2026 · DOI

  • While the role of mothers during infancy has been extensively explored, the emotional experiences of first-time fathers remain powerful yet often overlooked, leaving gaps in understanding their challenges, support needs, and mental health implications.

    Exploring the Emotional Experiences of First-Time Fathers During Infancy: A Qualitative Study · 2026 · DOI

  • Parenting behaviors play a critical role in child development, yet factors associated with fathers’ parenting behaviors remain underexplored.

    Personality, Marital Quality, and Psychological Distress in Fathers’ Positive and Negative Parenting · 2026 · DOI

  • Singlehood among professional women remains under-researched in Latin America, where gender norms and family expectations are shaped by distinct sociocultural contexts.

    Singlehood, stigma and emotional well-being among professional women in Bogotá, Colombia · 2026 · DOI

  • By focusing on mixed families, which remain underexplored in the literature, this study provides a unique lens on how value systems are negotiated and transmitted across generations in pluralistic societies.

    Parenting style and their influence on the transmission of religious and secular values · 2026 · DOI

  • Given Iran's decreasing fertility rate and the increasing number of single-child families in this country, a comprehensive examination of the unique experiences and challenges faced by only children is warranted.

    Explaining the Lived Experiences of Children in Single-child Families: A Qualitative Study · 2025 · DOI

  • However, examining the concept in relation to first-time fathers in the perinatal period remains an underexplored avenue.

    Enhancing Paternal Support: A Concept Analysis of Social Support for First-Time Fathers · 2024 · DOI

  • Future research should focus on the nutrition and health of specific populations, especially elderly individuals in vulnerable groups.

    Effects of family life cycle events on individual Body Mass Index trajectories: Evidence from China · 2024 · DOI

  • This study adds to limited research on fatherhood and sexual behavior among men transitioning from young adulthood to middle age.

    Correlates of Sexual Behavior Across Fatherhood Status: Finding From the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), 2016–2018 · 2024 · DOI

  • Parents receiving higher education leads to a shift in the birth calendar: an increase in the protonatal period, while the hypothesis of a reduction in the periods between the births of the first and second children, depending on the level of education of the parents, has not been confirmed.

    Educational Trajectories of Parents as a Factor of Reproductive Behavior on the Example of the Republic of Tatarstan (2013-2022) · 2024 · DOI

  • The long-term effectiveness of fertility incentives such as the three-child policy remains uncertain due to the lack of comprehensive economic and social support measures. Methods: This study innovatively utilizes Large Language Models (LLMs) to assist social media analysis, including intelligent noise removal and weighted sentiment analysis.

    Dynamic monitoring of public opinion on fertility intentions: based on the intersection of empirical and social media perspectives · 2026 · DOI

  • The study faced challenges in terms of data availability and the limited observation period. The analysis was limited by the fact that the reproductive trajectories of most of the studied cohorts had not been completed.

    How do reproductive events other than live births shape the timing of a second child? · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper highlights the need for more research on the disparate treatments by race in the EITC program.

    How Do Gender, Race, and Earnings Affect the EITC Marriage Penalty/Bonus? · 2026 · DOI

  • We examined the association between parenthood and mental health among Norwegian-born individuals aged 31–80 from 2006 to 2019, providing a comprehensive life-course perspective that reconciles prior mixed findings.

    Parenthood and mental health throughout the life course: A total population study · 2026 · DOI

  • Small sample size of 17 fathers, - Limited to a Midwestern U.S.

    Fathering in a Pandemic: Low-Income Black Fathers’ Experiences and Mental Health Stressors · 2026 · DOI

  • The reproductive trajectories of most of the studied cohorts had not been completed at the time that the register data were obtained. The analysis was limited to women who experienced a first live birth between the ages of 18 and 40.

    How do reproductive events other than live births shape the timing of a second child? · 2026 · DOI

  • Further study on the impact of the pandemic on Black fatherhood, - Examination of the effects of fathering on men's mental health and overall well-being, - Investigation of the experiences of Black fathers in different geographic…

    Fathering in a Pandemic: Low-Income Black Fathers’ Experiences and Mental Health Stressors · 2026 · DOI

  • The study was conducted on a small scale with a limited number of participants, - The study only included first-time fathers in Pakistan, - The study excluded participants who were experiencing an acute, moderate level of psychological…

    Qualitative Study of Men’s Experiences of Becoming a Father for the First-Time in Pakistan: A Critical Realist Perspective · 2025 · DOI

  • Further studies could explore the experiences of first-time fathers in different sociocultural contexts, - Future research could investigate the impact of hospital and government policies on first-time fathers'…

    Qualitative Study of Men’s Experiences of Becoming a Father for the First-Time in Pakistan: A Critical Realist Perspective · 2025 · DOI

  • Further study on the effects of economic growth on fertility behavior. Analysis of the impact of tax credits and immigration policies on fertility rates.

    Economic Growth and Low Fertility Trap: A Comparative Study of China and the US from the Perspective of Childbearing Costs · 2026 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Family Dynamics and Relationships

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Open questions raised by papers listed on this page include: (1) Future research is needed in the settings of developed countries (“Do fewer siblings lead to better mental health and subjective well-being?”, 2026); (2) There is a lack of research on the determinants of men's age at first childbearing (“The Personal and Social Determinants with Men’s Age During Their First…”, 2026); (3) The gap in the literature is the lack of understanding of how involved fatherhood is understood and practiced in Poland (“New Generation of Fathers in Poland: A Path to Gender Equality?”, 2026); (4) Parenting behaviors play a critical role in child development, yet factors associated with fathers’ parenting behaviors remain underexplored (“Personality, Marital Quality, and Psychological Distress in Fathers’ Positive…”, 2026); (5) The long-term effectiveness of fertility incentives such as the three-child policy remains uncertain due to the lack of comprehensive economic and social support measures (“Dynamic monitoring of public opinion on fertility intentions: based on the…”, 2026). 1,223 gap statements have been mined from Family Dynamics and Relationships papers in our 7.9M-paper local library, which holds 12,241 papers on the topic; the gaps come from whichever of those papers state one. They are mostly the research gaps the authors state and the papers' abstracts, plus future-work, limitations and challenges passages. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one, so you can read the original claim in context.

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