Poster #99 - Understanding Parenting Relationship: Should we ask the Same Questions

• In Event: Poster Session 09

Abstract

Parenting research is very one-side with the preponderance of the literature and measure focused on relationships and constructs from the mother’s perspective. This is not a new issue as several researchers have questioned the efficacy of using tools developed for mother-child relationships for father-child relationship. Volling mentions the need for reevaluating the literature on father-child attachment -- as well as the measurements used -- to explore the similarities and differences. The reevaluation of the fatherhood research is not new (N. J. Cabrera et al., 2018; N. J.Cabrera & Volling, 2019; Lamb, 2000). The more recent calls have echoed the critical examination of the literature as I do. How researchers continue to conceptualize fathers within families need to go further than just a critical examination, it must also look at the social structures in which fathers live.

We have multiple measurement issues with understanding how fathers understand their roles in co-parenting relationships compared mothers. One method often used is to ask the same questions to both fathers and mothers around parenting, data collected during the Fragile Families and Child-Wellbeing Study does just this. This poster will focus examining the constructs with how fathers and mothers conceptualize parenting with the following questions:
• RQ1 - Do fathers conceptualize the co-parenting using similar constructs as mothers?
• RQ2 - How does the understanding of these co-parenting constructs change over time (with regards to parental roles?
• RQ3 – Does cohabitation affect how fathers understand the co-parenting roles?

From FFCW we will be using data collected during the first 4 waves which correspond to the baseline data up until the child is age 5. These data focus on a critical time period over which the parenting relationship is tested. We will be using the father and mother survey data that focuses on constructs related to the mother-father relationship, and mother’s and father’s understanding of parenting expectations and parenting support. We will use a SEM implementation of a measurement invariance (Putnick & Bornstein, 2016) with mothers being the control group.

Pre-registration of Hypotheses:

RQ1 – Based upon earlier work for Author1, we anticipate finding variance between fathers and mothers around the factor loading.
RQ2 – We believe that the loadings will change to be more in line as the children age. We make this hypothesis based upon the parents having more experience with each other and the children which would inform them more about how their co-parenting relationship works.
RQ3 – Author1 used the cohabitating fathers and mothers as comparisons and found differences. We expect these differences to be larger between non-cohabitating fathers and mothers.

Author

• Zachary Price, Towson University
  Presenting Author