Individual and familial predictors of multiple dimensions of fathers' parenting

Abstract

Fathers are typically underrepresented in research on parenting and parental effects on children. Additionally, little is known about the determinants of fathers' parenting. This study investigated multiple determinants of several dimensions of fathers' parenting in a community sample of 80 two-parent families with a child between 8 to 11 years of age. Fathers' parenting dimensions of warmth, rejection, consistency of discipline, involvement, and time spent were assessed using multiple measures, including both observational and questionnaire measures. Child factors (age, gender), maternal and paternal psychosocial factors (education, depression, history of problems, marital satisfaction) and family psychosocial factors (stressful life events, income) were examined as predictors of a variety of dimensions of fathers' parenting using cross-sectional data. Predictors that consistently predicted parenting were tested simultaneously using multiple regression. Little evidence for the prediction of parenting by child factors was found. More consistent support was found for the prediction of parenting by individual psychosocial factors. Identical analyses for parenting by mothers were also conducted. Findings have potential implications for understanding factors that uniquely relate to fathers' parenting.