EFFECTS OF ANTECEDENT AND CURRENT LIFE SITUATIONAL VARIABLES ON THE NURTURING BEHAVIOR OF FATHERS: A CROSS-GENERATIONAL STUDY
Abstract
The study investigated the expression of nurturing behavior by fathers toward their sons. Specifically, antecedent variables, such as a son's recollection of his father's nurturant behavior, and current life situational variables, such as wife's employment status, paternal perception of maternal role sharing preferences, and paternal satisfaction with work and with marriage were examined in relation to a father's manifestation of nurturing behavior toward his own son. Subjects were 122 married Caucasian males of middle to upper-middle socioeconomic income levels, all of whom had at least one natural born son age 4 to 12. The Paternal Nurturance Inventory (PNI), developed by the researcher, was used both retrospectively to assess the subject's recollection of nurturing behavior, as well as currently to assess the subject's perception of his expression of nurturing behavior vis-a-vis his own son. Test-retest reliability for current nurturance was .74, and for retrospective nurturance, .93. The Maternal Role Sharing Questionnaire (MRSQ), developed by the researcher, measured the perception by the subject of the degree to which his wife prefers him to assume child care responsibility. Paternal satisfaction with work and marriage were each assessed with a single question responded to on a seven point rating scale. Results of the stepwise multiple regression analysis used to investigate the contribution of each independent variable indicated that retrospective accounts of paternal nurturance accounted for 6.6% of the total 9% explained variance, and was the only variable to contribute significantly to the prediction of current paternal nurturance. Suggestions for future research include further analysis of family and work variables which impact upon father-son relationships as well as expansion of and improvement upon assessment tools currently in use. Implications for school psychologists in working toward greater acceptance of the paternal role in child-rearing were discussed.
Subject Area
Psychology
Recommended Citation
ROTH, MARTIN ROBERT, "EFFECTS OF ANTECEDENT AND CURRENT LIFE SITUATIONAL VARIABLES ON THE NURTURING BEHAVIOR OF FATHERS: A CROSS-GENERATIONAL STUDY" (1982). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI8213618.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI8213618
