Poster #152 - Social competence and fathers’ involvement in Peruvian families with preschoolers’ children

• In Event: 3-106 - Poster Session 11
  In Poster Session: PS 11 Section - Parenting & Parent-Child Relationships

Integrative Statement

Introduction:
Recently, studies regarding fathers have increased (Bretherton, 2010). Fathers seem to be important in the development of children after second year of life (Grossman et al., 2002) and mainly during the preschool age. In particular, literature indicates that both parents´ involvement seems to promote a better children social competence (SC; Teubert & Pinquart, 2010).
In spite of this, there are no studies in Peru related to these topics although families’ structures and dynamics are nowadays changing.

Objective:
To predict children social competence based on father involvement and some socio-demographic variables in a Peruvian sample.

Method:
Participants were 300 Peruvian families with children between 36 and 78 months of age (M = 54.16, SD = 10.61). 56% were girls. Father´s involvement was measured through the Parental Involvement: Care and Socialization Activities Scale (Monteiro, Veríssimo, Costa & Pimenta, 2008) reported by fathers and mothers. Social competence was reported by teachers through the Social Competence and Behavior Evaluation Scale (LaFreniere & Dumas, 1996).

Results:
Results show a positive correlations between SC and father involvement in Direct Care (r = .119, p = .039). In addition, SC was significantly associated with children´s age (r = .176, p = .002) and sex (r = .146, p = .011), as well as with parent´s work situation (r = .123, p = .037 and r = .184, p = .002 for mothers and fathers respectively).

From a multiple linear regression analysis, it was found that SC was predicted by Direct Care (β = .158, t = 2.740, p = .007), age (β =. 187, t = 3.280, p = .001) and the child's sex (β = .156, t = 2.710, p = .007) and the father's work situation (β = .155, t = 2.715, p = .007). This model explained 9.1% of the variance (F(4, 283) = 7.109, p ˂ .001).

Then, a moderator analysis indicates that child sex moderated the effect of father involvement at Direct Care on SC. R squared changed = .015 (F change (1, 283) = 4.674, p = .031) when the interaction variable was added to predictors and moderator variables.
For this reason, differential analyses were conducted. Results showed that only for boys, SC was explain by Direct Care (β = .429, t = 4.429, p < .001), children age (β = .241, t = 2.544, p = .013) and mothers age (β = -.262, t = -2.682, p = .009). This model was significant (F (3, 85) = 9.398; p < .001) and explained 24.9% of variance. For the girls, the model was not significant.

Conclusions:
SC was predicted by Direct Care from father´s involvement domains among other socio-demographic variables only for boys. Boy´s SC was higher when their fathers are involved with their direct care, when children were older and when their mothers were younger. For girls no significant prediction was found. These results are discussed regarding Peruvian socio cultural context.

Authors

• Magaly Nóblega, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú
  Presenting Author

• Francesco Marinelli, Pontifical Catholic University of Peru
  Non-Presenting Author

• Andrea Ugarte, Pontifical Catholic University of Peru
  Non-Presenting Author

• Marisut Guimet, Pontifical Catholic University of Peru
  Non-Presenting Author

• Beatriz Hidalgo, Pontifical Catholic University of Peru
  Non-Presenting Author