Understanding Positive Father-Child Interaction: Children's, Fathers', and Mothers' Contributions

Abstract

Guided by a systemic ecological framework for father involvement, we investigate children 's, mothers', and fathers' contributions to observed father-child interaction. Analyses of 586 married resident fathers, their wives, and a target first-grade child (participants in the NICHD Study of Early Child Care) demonstrate that an additive model of father involvement accounts for the quality of father-child interaction better than a model which focuses on only one component of the system. Father parenting beliefs, child language skills, child social skills, maternal employment, and dyadic mother-child interaction quality each additively and significantly contribute to positive father-child interaction. Father average income and education levels relate to dyadic interaction, but individual and family characteristics account for their effects. Moderational analyses resulted in a significant interaction between father parenting beliefs and child social skills, providing preliminary support for the systemic ecological assumption that father-child interaction is better understood in a model that is not only additive but also interactive.

Positive Health Outcomes of Fathers' Involvment in Pregnancy and Childbirth Paternal Support: A Scope Study Literature Review

“…The significance of fathers to the development and well-being of children and adolescents, and the positive meaning for men of being a father are some examples of the topics in this research (Bradford & Hawkins, 2006;Goncy & van Dulmen, 2010;Holmes & Huston, 2010;Markiewicz et al, 2006;Sarkadi et al, 2008). The importance of involving men as fathers early on in pregnancy, and during delivery, has also been discussed in several studies primarily to be found in psychological or nursing literature (Fägerskiöld, 2008).…”

Associations Among Father Beliefs, Perceptions, Life Context, Involvement, Child Attachment and School Outcomes in the U. S. and Taiwan

“…Parental work schedules, high stress levels, low levels of school-related knowledge and skills, and poor access to support systems and community resources may all restrict certain types and levels of involvement (Green et al, 2007;Hoover-Dempsey, Walker, Sandler, Whetsel, Green, Wilkins, & Closson, 2005;Milkie, Kendig, Nomaguchi, & Denny, 2010;Newland, Coyl-Shepherd, & Paquette, 2012;Seginer, 2006). Additional contextual factors, such as parent and child gender, inter-parental relationship quality, and level of involvement of the co-parent, also influence parental involvement decisions (Carlson, Pilkauskas, McLanahan, & Brooks-Gunn, 2011;Holmes & Huston, 2010;Lewis & Lamb, 2007;McDowell, Kim, O'Neill, & Parke, 2002;Mehall, Spinrad, Eisenberg, & Gaertner, 2009;Newland et al, 2012;Pattnaik & Sriram, 2010;Pleck & Hofferth, 2008;Raley & Bianchi, 2006;Schoppe-Sullivan, Kotila, Jia, Lang, & Bower, 2012).…”

Work-Life Balance, Couple Satisfaction, and Father Involvement: A Cross-Cultural Study

“…This finding was in contrast with previous research as fathers' ed cation was hypothesised to e one of the most determining factors in father involvement. The higher the fathers' ed cation, the more involved they are in child rearing activities (Holmes & Huston, 2010;Nordhal, Zambrana, & Forgatch, 2015;Yeung, 2010).…”