The Role of Fathers in Child Cohorts Scientific Meeting of the European Science Foundation (ESF) European Child Cohort Network (EUCCONET) University of.

The Role of Fathers in Child Cohorts

Scientific Meeting of theEuropean Science Foundation (ESF)

European Child Cohort Network (EUCCONET)

University of Vienna, 24th of Feb. 2010

http://www.esf.org/

http://epsy15.psy.univie.ac.at/esf-workshop2010/Fathers_childcohorts.htm

http://univie.ac.at/?L=2

The Role of Fathers in Child CohortsScientific Meeting of the

European Science Foundation (ESF)European Child Cohort Network (EUCCONET)

University of Vienna, 24th of Feb. 2010

Welcome

Prof. Dr. Germain Weber,Dean of the Faculty of Psychology /University of Vienna

http://www.esf.org/



The Role of Fathers in Child Cohorts. Scientific Meeting of the European Science Foundation / Vienna, 2010-02-24

Slide 3 (of 19)

Harald WerneckUniv. of Vienna

Introduction

• coffee, juice, mineral, snacks etc. to take – as long as supplies last;

• lunch (~ 12:15): together at the mensa (few minutes from here);you get vouchers;

• dinner (~ 19:45): together at the “Cafe Landtmann”;

• WLAN: ("eduroam" and "u:connect" ) – UserID: euccone1; password: esf2010

Organizational Matters:

http://www.esf.org/




Slide 4 (of 19)


• Should the biological father or the everyday-caring father be taken into account ?

• How should fathers be included in the studies?

• How should cohort studies deal with a couple’s break-up, new unions and non-resident fathers, etc.?

Some questions:

• define specific problems connected with the role of fathers in child cohorts;

• discuss possible solutions;

• share and consider experiences and knowledge on how to handle these questions in praxis;

• create a scientific community working in the specific field of the role of fathers in child cohorts;

Aims:

• systematic reports from relevant cohort studies;

Methods:

Substantive agenda

http://www.esf.org/



Divorce rate / Austria 1951 – 2008 (Statistik Austria, 2009)



Slide 5 (of 19)

http://www.esf.org/




Slide 6 (of 19)


Family Development in the Course of Life (FIL) – About the role of fathers

University of Vienna, Faculty of PsychologyDepartment of Developmental Psychology and Psychological Assessment

•since 1990•intercultural project (South-Korea, USA, Germany – East/West, Austria) about

the•transition to parenthood

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3 mo. b. b. 3 mo. a. b. 3 yrs. a. b. 8 yrs. a. b. 11 yrs. a. b. 15 yrs. a. b.

child -164

(94 %)117b

(67 %) [71 %]c

143d

(82 %) [125 %]144d

(82 %) [101 %]137b

(78 %) [95 %]

mother 175(100 %)a

168(96 %)

152(87 %) [90 %]

137(78 %) [90 %]

135(77 %) [99 %]

131(75 %) [97 %]

father 175(100 %)

167(95 %)

147(84 %) [88 %]

124(71 %) [84 %]

120(69 %) [97 %]

119(68 %) [99 %]

a in round brackets: percentages in relation to 3 months before child’s birth (175 = 100 %);b 3 of these 114 cases are twins (117 at all);c in brackets: percentages in relation to 3 months after child’s birth;d 2 of these 143 cases are twins (145 at all).

Participation rates

Slide 7 (of 19)



http://www.esf.org/



Instruments

Slide 8 (of 19)

Mothers and Fathers:

• Parental Role Questionnaire (Nickel, Grant & Vetter, 1990) / t1-t6;

• Partnership Questionnaire (PFB; Hahlweg, 1979) / t1-t6;

• Questionnaires comprising socioeconomic variables, parental division of

labour, childrearing practices, pleasure in activities undertaken with the

child, strain caused by the child, the importance of family versus work life

etc. / t1-t6;

• Temperament Questionnaire (adapted from Thomas & Chess, 1977) about

the child’s temperament /t2-t6

etc.



http://www.esf.org/



Slide 9 (of 19)

Children:

• Wechsler-Intelligence-Scale for Children (Translation: HAWIK-III; Tewes, Schallberger & Rossmann, 2000) / t4

• Effort Avoidance Test (Rollett & Bartram, 1998) / t4-t6;

• Personality Questionnaire (newly constructed) / t4-t6;

• NEO-FFI (adapted from Borkenau‘s & Ostendorf‘s Questionnaire, 1993) / t5-t6;

• Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment (adapted from Armsden & Greenberg, 1987) / t5-t6

• Inventory of the Dimensions of Emerging Adulthood (IDEA; Reifman, Arnett & Colwell, 2003) / t6;

• Occupational Interests Test (Irle & Allehof, 1988) / t6;

• Leisure Behavior Questionnaire (newly constructed) / t6;

• Future Questionnaire for Adolescents (adapted from Oser, Horn & Maiello, 2000) / t6;



http://www.esf.org/



Slide 10 (of 19)

Sample (t6):

Age: men: M = 46.8 years (SD = 4.5) (women: M = 44.3, SD = 4.0);

Highest Education: 51% high school/university-level (women: 44%)

Household-Income: 50% more than 3300,- € per month;

Divorce rate: 22%

Number of Children:1 child: 14%, 2 children: 33%, 3: 37%, 4: 13%, 5: 4%;



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Slide 11 (of 19)

Scale Sample items

Burden of responsibility (12 items; α = .71)

To take responsibility for a child is oppressive.

Traditional division of roles(14 items; α = .86)

I think rather a mother than a father should be a role-model for a daughter .

Traditional women’s role(7 items; α = .66)

I think it is bad for the child’s development, if the mother has a profession.

Value of children(9 items; α = .83)

Through my children I experience what is really important.

Scales of the Parental Role Questionnaire / fathers, t1 [1]



http://www.esf.org/



Slide 12 (of 19)

Scale Sample items

Value of the family (8 items; α = .84)

A partnership without children is missing the crucial thing.

Pater familias(8 items; α = .77)

It is important for my parents to become grandparents.

Equality(4 items; α = .66)

When the father is at home, he should take care of the children to relieve his wife.

Children as a burden(13 items; α = .78)

If you have children, you will nearly have no leisure time for your own.



Scales of the Parental Role Questionnaire / fathers, t1 [2]

http://www.esf.org/



Slide 13 (of 19)

Clusters of fathers (according to the scores in the Parental Roles Quest., t1)



http://www.esf.org/



Slide 14 (of 19)

1 = I completely disagree2 = I rather disagree3 = I rather agree4 = I completely agree

Development of paternal attitudes (t1 – t6)



http://www.esf.org/



Slide 15 (of 19)

Development of the scale “Equality” in younger and older fathers**

1 = I completely disagree2 = I rather disagree3 = I rather agree4 = I completely agree



http://www.esf.org/





Slide 16 (of 19)

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Posit. affectivity

Neg. affectivity

Irritability

Rhythmicity

Intensity ofreaction

Temperamentwith 3 months

-.72

.59

-.54

.71

.84

Angerproneness

Sociability Adaptability Introversion

Temperamentwith 3 years

Communication(mothers, t3)

Tenderness(mothers, t3)

.48.41

.66

-.23

.65 -.83 .53-.56

Conflict behavior(fathers, t4)

-.25 Sociability

Aggreeableness

Anger proneness

Adaptability

Effortful control

Openness

Temperamentwith 8 years

-.31

-.31

-.22

.24

.87

.60

.58

.54

-.73

.61

Interaction effects between temperament development and parental partnership / t2 t3 t4

Slide 17 (of 19)



http://www.esf.org/

Some conclusions and assumptions

• there are interactions effects between different paternal aspects and child development, e.g. temperament or personality;

• besides there are indirect effects of fathers, such as the significance of the parental partnership for the child development;

• to have data also of the fathers, e.g. about their attitudes and partnership, is important 1) for understanding family dynamics and 2) for effective prevention measures;

• fathers’ and mothers’ perspectives, views, assessment etc. of their children often differ a lot; without fathers’ data you only get incomplete impressions;

• we still know too less about the role of the fathers;

Slide 18 (of 19)



Thank you for your attention.

Slide 19 (of 19)



Liebiggasse 5/1A-1010 WienTel.: +43 1/4277 478-62Fax: +43 1/4277 478-69e-mail: [email protected]: http://homepage.univie.ac.at/harald.werneck

The Role of Fathers in Child Cohorts Scientific Meeting of the European Science Foundation (ESF) European Child Cohort Network (EUCCONET) University of.

Documents

instruments slide

parenthood slide

child i

nonresident fathers

harald werneck

vienna family development

vienna introduction

substantive agenda slide