Similarity of Parents’ Beliefs and Later Reports of Father Involvement

1. Similarity of Parents’ Beliefs and Later Reports of Father Involvement Kari Adamsons, Ph.D. University of Connecticut Human Development and Family Studies

2. This Magic Moment • Birth represents a “magic moment” for fathers – the vast majority express intent to be involved with raising their child • However, actual engagement with children waxes and wanes dramatically over the first few years • Why? And how do we keep dads involved?

3. Mothers Influence Fathers • Maternal Gatekeeping • When mothers encourage and value father involvement, fathers tend to be more involved (gate opening) • When mothers discourage or do not value father involvement, fathers tend to be less involved (gate closing) • So, what explains gatekeeping behavior/attitudes?

4. Identity Theory Suggests That… • Mothers and fathers both have parental identities that guide their behavior as parents (and shape their expectations for their coparent) • To be a “good mother/father,” I should do a, b, and c • To be a “good father/mother,” HE/SHE should do x, y, and z • We should share e, f, and g • Mothers and fathers receive feedback from one another regarding whether they are “doing it right” • Feedback likely originates from their own identities

5. Possible Feedback Outcomes • Mothers and fathers have SIMILAR standards and thus provide CONGRUENT feedback • I think you should do a, b, and c; You think you should do a, b, and c • When you do a, b, and c, I respond positively and with encouragement • Mothers and fathers have DISSIMILAR standards and thus provide INCONGRUENT feedback • I think you should do a, b, and c; You think you should do x, y, and z • When you do x, y, and z, I respond negatively and either discourage x, y, and z or encourage a, b, and c instead

6. What Happens Next? • Congruent feedback  continue behavior • Incongruent feedback  • Try to convince the person the behavior is appropriate (s-t) • Change behavior/standards to match other person’s expectations (l-t) • Leave the disconfirming relationship (l-t)

7. Hypotheses/Questions • Thus, I would expect: • When parents have more similar beliefs at birth, fathers will be more involved 1 and 3 years later (and v.v.) • Does this association always hold? • Race/ethnicity • Relationship status • First-time parenting status (both parents) • And, does expectation incongruence “spillover” into incongruence in other areas (e.g., reports of FI)?

8. Sample • Fragile Families Child and Well-Being Study • Approximately 5,000 families • Subsample for the current paper is 1,638 mothers/fathers • Subsample is approximately 30% Caucasian, 42% African American, 23% Hispanic, and 5% other races/ethnicities • About half of the sample is married • 58% of mothers and 83% of fathers worked for pay in the last week • 60% of mothers and 57% of fathers have other biological children, and in approximately ¼ of the sample both are first-time parents

9. Methods • 2 Congruence scores were created • Subtracted mom’s score from dad’s score, took the absolute value of the difference (focus on difference only) • Cumulative Congruence: congruence of 6 roles summed • Hierarchy Congruence: most/least important roles summed • Because most variables were not latent constructs (difference scores, change scores, or demogs, e.g.), multiple hierarchical regression was used (vs. SEM)

10. Results: Year 1 • Base model: • Mothers and fathers both report that married fathers tend to be more involved than unmarried fathers • Fathers who were younger (MR) and in more committed relationships (MR/FR) tended to be more involved; Hispanic fathers tended to less involved (compared with White fathers; MR/FR) • Greater cumulative congruence between mothers’ and fathers’ initial beliefs is associated with greater FI (MR/FR)

11. Results: Year 1 • Moderated model • The association between cumulative congruence and father’s report of involvement was weaker for first-time parents than for repeat parents (race/ethnicity and relationship status nonsignificant) • No significant interactions for mother report of involvement

13. Results: Year 3 • Base model: • Fathers in more committed relationships (MR/FR) and in relationships where both parents were first-time parents (MR) tended to be more involved • Greater cumulative congruence was associated with greater FI (MR/FR)

14. Results: Year 3 • Moderated model: • The association between hierarchy congruence and father involvement was stronger for parents in less committed relationships (dating or non-romantic relationships) compared with married/cohabiting parents (FR only) • The association between hierarchy congruence and father involvement was stronger for first-time parents than repeat parents (opposite of Y1) (FR only) • No significant interactions for MR

16. Does Incongruence “Spillover”? • At Year 1, only father education was associated with differences between MR and FR; reports of involvement were more similar when fathers had more education • At Year 3, greater father education, being African American (compared with White), and greater cumulative congruence were associated with greater similarity between MR and FR • At Year 3, the association between hierarchy congruence and differences between MR and FR was significant for married parents only, such that greater initial congruence was associated with greater MR/FR similarity

17. Discussion • At both Y1 and Y3, greater cumulative congruence initially was associated with more involvement later • Overall was congruence more important than specific rankings • At Year 1, the association was stronger for repeat parents, but at Year 3, the association was stronger for first-time parents and for hierarchy congruence, not cumulative congruence – why? • At Year 3, congruence was more strongly associated with involvement for parents in less committed relationships • Moderators only influenced father reports • Over time, incongruence seems to “spread” to other areas

18. Limitations/Future Research • Focus on direction of incongruence • Does it matter who’s higher? • What happens when both parents devalue fathers? • Additional measures of identity at later time points • Does identity shift with behavior? • Composition of non-first-time parents • Children with other people v. same parent? • Other sources of feedback (friends, family, employers) • More “non-romantic” parents • Additional areas of incongruence (satisfaction, div. of labor)