The effect of perceived intergenerational paternal involvement on fathers' involvement in the lives of their 0-to-8-year-old children

Abstract

Paternal involvement is of concern not only because it has an impact on the child's development, but also because it has an important contribution to future generations' parenting behaviours, particularly for male children. This study aims to examine (1) the general pattern for perceived intergenerational paternal involvement and fathers' own involvement and (2)the influence of the perceived intergenerational paternal involvement on father's involvement in the lives of their 0-to-8-year-old children. 528 biological-resident fathers participated to the study. The descriptive and MANOVA analyses indicated that paternal involvement in the family of origin and current father involvement levels were high in terms of the provider role, yet low in terms of the availability. Moreover, the study indicated that perceived intergenerational paternal involvement is only influential for two types of father involvement.