An exploratory study of latent patterns of fathering behavior using latent profile analysis.

摘要

This study used Latent Profile Analysis to investigate latent patterns of fathering behavior using a measure of 9 dimensions of behavior. The 9 dimensions were: discipline and teaching responsibility, school encouragement, mother support, providing, time and talking together, praise and affection, developing talents and future concerns, reading and homework support, attentiveness (Hawkins, et al., 2002). The study used late adolescent ratings of how good of a job participants thought their father did and how much participants perceived their father as being involved in each of the nine dimensions. Additionally, this study examined variables hypothesized to predict profile membership and adolescent outcomes hypothesized to be related to profile membership. For each version of the measure, 5 profiles of fathering behavior emerged. Each set of profiles included one profile of fathers who were very involved across the 9 dimensions or were rated as very good across the 9 dimensions. Each set of profiles also included one profile of fathers were where not involved across the 9 dimensions or were rated as very poor across the 9 dimensions. Additionally, each set of profiles included at least one profile where providing was emphasized above all other dimensions. For the how good of a job analyses, ethnicity, parents' marital status, the number of hours the father worked, and father type were related to the probability of being in a particular profile. Additionally, profile membership was related to adolescent depression. For the how much involved analyses, ethnicity, parents' marital status, fathers' education level, family income, and father type were related to the probability of being in a particular profile. Additionally, profile membership was related to adolescent depression and antisocial behavior. Notably, for each set of analyses, the profile in which providing was emphasized seemed to be related to negative outcomes.