Changes in the Organization of Paternal Behavior during Early and Middle Childhood

SYNOPSIS

Objective. The focus of this study is on changes in the strength of relations among four types of paternal behaviors (supportive presence, respect for autonomy, stimulation, and hostility) from early childhood through middle childhood. Design. Father-child interaction was observed for 718 dyads at four time periods: 54 months (M = 56 months), 1^st grade (M = 7.0 years), 3^rd grade (M = 9.0 years), and 5^th grade (M = 11.0 years) using similar and age-appropriate observational paradigms. Results. The association between paternal supportive presence and respect for autonomy grew stronger with age. Supportive presence showed a moderate relation with stimulation at 54 months; but this association became weaker over time. A similar pattern of weakening association emerged in the relation between respect for autonomy and stimulation. Both supportive presence and respect for autonomy showed a continuing robust negative association with hostility. Finally, the relation between hostility and stimulation became stronger over time. Conclusions. There appears to be an evolving dialectic in the organization of paternal behavior during interactions with offspring, with some relations strengthening and others becoming weaker. Critically, the bonds fathers have with their children in early childhood tend to remain firm through middle childhood, with paternal support less often reflecting itself in directly teaching a child but more often in showing respect for the child’s growing independence.

ADDRESSES AND AFFILIATIONS

Robert H. Bradley, Center for Child and Family Success, Arizona State University. 951 S. Cady Mall, Tempe, AZ, USA 85287. Email: [email protected]. Amy L. Pennar is at Florida State University, Masumi Iida is at Arizona State University, Margaret Tresh Owen is at the University of Texas at Dallas, and Deborah Lowe Vandell is at the University of California – Irvine.

ARTICLE INFORMATION

Conflict of Interest Disclosures

Each author signed a form for disclosure of potential conflicts of interest. No authors reported any financial or other conflicts of interest in relation to the work described.

Ethical Principles

The authors affirm having followed professional ethical guidelines in preparing this work. These guidelines include obtaining informed consent from human participants, maintaining ethical treatment and respect for the rights of human or animal participants, and ensuring the privacy of participants and their data, such as ensuring that individual participants cannot be identified in reported results or from publicly available original or archival data.

Role of the Funders/Sponsors

The preparation, review, and approval of the manuscript was that of the authors alone, as was the decision to submit the manuscript for publication.

Acknowledgments

The ideas and opinions expressed herein are those of the authors alone, and endorsement by the authors’ Institutions is not intended and should not be inferred.

Supplementary material

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Additional information

Funding

This work was not supported by a grant or contract from an outside agency.