The effect of congruence of mothers' and fathers' beliefs regarding fathering roles on father involvement

UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Kari L. Adamsons (Creator)
Institution
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/
Advisor
Kay Pasley

Abstract: "This study was designed to test the influence of the congruence between mothers' and fathers' fathering identity standards on fathers' later involvement with their children. Using two waves of data from the Fragile Families Study of Child Well-being, the effect of identity standard congruence at the time of the child's birth on father involvement one year later was tested using structural equation modeling with 2,107 sets of parents who shared varying relationship statuses (married, cohabiting, romantic noncohabiting, nonromantic). Also tested was whether this effect was mediated by fathers' satisfaction with the father identity and whether parents' relationship status at birth and at one year moderated the effect. Consistent with Burke's (1991, 1997) identity verification model, identity congruence did predict later involvement, such that when identity standards were more congruent, fathers were more involved with their children. Contrary to what was suggested by identity theory, identity satisfaction did not mediate the effect between congruence and involvement, and parents' relationship status only partially moderated the effect. Specifically, the effect of congruence on involvement was not moderated by parents' relationship status, but the association between identity satisfaction and involvement was stronger for noncohabiting fathers than cohabiting fathers. These findings suggest the need for broader conceptualizations of distress within identity theory. Further, it highlights differences between family structures in the ways in which identity translates into behavior -- personal satisfaction with an identity was more strongly associated with involvement when fathers did not reside with their children/children's mothers."--Abstract from author supplied metadata.

Additional Information

Publication
Dissertation
Language: English
Date: 2006
Keywords
mother, father, children, identity standard congruence, Fragile Family Studies of Child Well-being, behavior
Subjects
Fatherhood
Father and child
Identity (Psychology)

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