Argues that although Radin and Sagi (1982) and Russell (1982) have generated interesting hypotheses about the origins and effects of increased parental involvement in childrearing, some issues must still be considered if these hypotheses are to be appropriately tested. (Author/MP)

Social science literature has provided relatively little information about paternal influences on child development. As more men play an active role in child rearing, we can hope for a parallel change in methodology and concepts which would enable us to better understand the father's roles in his child's development. (Author/GC)

Considers employment factors as determinants of parental involvement in the care of 138 first-born children of 16 and 28 months. Results indicated that fathers were more involved when they assumed more responsibility for child care chores, when they had been more involved 12 months earlier, and when their partners worked more. (RJC)

We were interested in how low-income African American fathers of 12-year-old children in families identified as high risk viewed their role as father. Four focus group discussions involving 19 fathers were conducted. We had four key questions: (1) what the men perceived as the children's needs, (2) how they met those needs, (3) what motivated them…

The authors discuss several studies which invalidate the common presumption that fathers play an insignificant role in the sociopersonality development of their infant children. It is shown that fathers are extremely salient individuals in the lives of their children, particularly their sons. (Author)

To further explore findings indicating that parental gender is a much more important predictor of caretaker behavior style than is involvement in parental role, 45 Swedish couples were observed at home interacting with their 16-month-old infants. Findings suggest that gender differences in parental behavior are much less amenable to social…

Fifty-two adolescent mothers were observed at home interacting with their six-month-old infants and male partners and questioned independently about their dyadic relationships, social support networks, and life stresses. Showed mothers interacted much more actively with the infants than did fathers. (HOD)

This paper summarizes the components of effective parenting for which substantial empirical support is available and discusses the problems inherent in attempts to determine the characteristics of effective parents in order to amend the process of socialization through the modification of parent styles. The aspects of effective parenting discussed…

This paper summarizes the findings of a series of studies on the effects of "ecological variables" on mother-father-sibling-infant interactions. Under consideration were: (1) the effects of stress on the parental preferences of young infants; (2) the effects of the presence of one parent on the interactions within the other parent-infant dyad; (3)…

This paper is a summary of results of two overlapping longitudinal studies tracing the development of mother-infant and father-infant attachments between 7 and 24 months of age. Interaction between 10 male and 10 female infants and their parents was observed in the subjects' homes. Interaction with parents was compared to interaction with an…

Discusses how social trends changed father involvement and family life, and in turn affected children's and fathers' developmental trajectories. Examines how today's children will construct expectations about fathers' and mothers' roles. Maintains that a life-span approach considers the broader sociohistorical context in which fatherhood develops.…