3-210 - Longitudinal Trajectories and Typologies of Fathers’ Involvement in Coparenting in Infancy and Early Childhood

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Integrative Statement

Fathers play a significant role in children’s development, including in socio-emotional, behavioral and cognitive development (Cabrera & Tamis-LeMonda, 2013). Although the study of fathers has evolved considerably, most analyses have relied on data from a single time point. However, father involvement is a dynamic process that evolves over time and may vary across the child’s life. Process-oriented longitudinal research is needed to understand the exact nature of father involvement and its impact on the children. The longitudinal studies presented in this symposium utilize complex methodologies (latent transition analysis, dyadic multilevel growth modeling of intensive longitudinal data) to explore the antecedents and consequences of instability in various aspects of fathers’ participation in coparenting. Paper 1 evaluates heterogeneity in relationship dynamics using a large, diverse sample of adolescent parents across the first two years of their child’s life. Paper 2 explores the consequences of volatility (within-person variation across two years) in the quality of coparenting in a sample of new parents for toddlers’ socio-emotional development and parents' well-being. Paper 3 examines linkages between parent and infant characteristics and trajectories of involvement during the bedtime context across the first year. Each study offers a novel approach to operationalizing and modeling the dynamic nature of father involvement. Together, the proposed studies contribute to a better understanding of the complex nature of fathers’ participation in shared parenting, its antecedents, and consequences for the developing child.

Sub Unit

• Parenting & Parent-Child Relationships

Chair

• Maryna Raskin, Tufts University

Discussant

• Natasha Cabrera, University of Maryland

Individual Presentations

• Heterogeneity and Instability of Relationship Configurations in Adolescent Parents: A Latent Transition Analysis - Presenting Author: Maryna Raskin, Tufts University; Ann Easterbrooks, Tufts University; Nathan Fosse, Tufts University; Erin Bumgarner, Abt Associates, Inc.

• Volatility in Coparenting Quality and Family and Child Well-being - Presenting Author: Brandon T. McDaniel, Pennsylvania State University; Douglas M Teti, Pennsylvania State University

• Predictors of Longitudinal Trajectories of Father and Mother Involvement at Bedtime During Infancy - Presenting Author: Jonathan Michael Reader, Pennsylvania State University; Brandon T. McDaniel, Pennsylvania State University; Douglas M Teti, Pennsylvania State University