Digital Commons @ George Fox University Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Theses and Dissertations 2-23-1996 Influence of atherF Absence and Satisfaction with Parents on Selected Measures of Nurturant Fathering Donald Wallace Swan Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/psyd Part of the Psychology Commons Influence of Father Absence and Satisfaction with Parents on Selected Measures of Nurturant Fathering by Donald Wallace Swan Presented to the Faculty of George Fox College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology Newberg, Oregon February 23, 1996 MURD(li:i( lEARlliNG RESOURCE CfllTER GcORGE FOX UNIVERSITY NEWBERG, OREGllll maz Antecedents of Nurturant Fathering - ll Approval Influence of Father Absence and Satisfaction with Parents on Selected Measures of Nurturant Fathering by Donald Wallace Swan Signatures: Committee Chair Vice President For Academic Affairs Antecedents of Nurturant Fathering - i11 Influence of Father Absence and Satisfaction with Parents on Selected Measures of Nurturant Fathering Donald Wallace Swan George Fox College Newberg, Oregon Abstract This dissertation investigated nurturant fathering as demonstrated by men of differing father-absent backgrounds. Archival data was used from a 1990 survey of 1,515 religious and highly motivated participants in fathering seminars in various regions of the United States. Reasons for father absence included death, divorce, work, and no absence. The influence of type of father absence was examined within the context of (a) participant's age at the time his father became absent, (b) participant's satisfaction with childhood relationship with father, and (c) participant's satisfaction with childhood relationship with mother. The Personal Fathering Profile (PFP) (Canfield, 1990) was used to measure eight aspects of nurturant fathering. The PFP is a 138-item, self-report instrument using 5- and 7-point Likert scales. Data was subjected to several multivariate analysis. Results Antecedents of Nurturant Fathering - iv indicated significant main effects for three measures of family-of-origin relationships (father absence, satisfaction with childhood relationship with father, and satisfaction with childhood relationship with mother) . The global direction of these differences indicated a trans-generational movement toward healthy fathering. These differences were consistent with social learning theory and general psychodynamic theory. Participants were found to compensate for their fathers' obvious failures (e.g., amount of time spent with children) and to imitate the more subtle aspects of fathering (e.g., aspects of nurturant fathering) . Isolated main effects indicated that childhood relationship with father and childhood relationship with mother made gender specific contributions to the development of instrumental and expressive fathering skills respectively. Relationship with father contributed to (a) commitment, (b) knowing children, and (c) protecting and providing. Relationship with mother contributed to (a) consistency, (b) loving spouse, and (c) active listening. Follow-up analysis indicated that the synergetic union of a father and mother contributed more to their son's development of these six measures of nurturant fathering than did the mere sum of the father's and mother's individual contributions. Antecedents of Nurturant Fathering - v A father's presence influenced his life expectancy as well as the length of his wife's life. Divorce appeared to shorten life span of fathers and mothers by 10 and 18 years respectively. Work patterns where sons considered the father missing appeared to shorten life span of fathers and mothers by 6 and 12 years respectively. Antecedents of Nurturant Fathering - vi Acknowledgements Parenting, like many of life's steps, is a ceaseless endeavor. It has a definite beginning and an uncertain end. Thank you, God, for the opportunity to study fathering. Thank you for the privilege of being a father. Thank you for your steadfast love and your enduring mercy. Help me be a father like you. Teach me how you love me. Teach me how to love my family .... Amidst the bothersome technicalities of completing research like this, I have been blessed by the people who, by their example, continually remind me of the deeper meaning within my topic: love propagates. Long will be remembered the kind and gentle words spoken by others even in the heat of meeting their own deadlines. Many of you unnamed servants have shared such words with me during this project. I will pass them on. I am grateful for the persons who have given of themselves to help me with this project. The first of these are the fifteen hundred fathers across the nation who provided an account of their family histories and current fathering practices. The National Center for Fathering (N.C.F.) collected this data and generously shared it with me through the mediation of David Warnick. I applaud the professional and biblically sound ministry this organization provides to families. Antecedents of Nurturant Fathering - vii My dissertation conunittee has been a blessing. Their habitual humility and mutual desire to know the Truth played a large part in making my oral exams a defining experience as well as a collaborative and enjoyable experience. I feel privileged to have been guided through this process by the experienced hands of Dr. Gail Roid who introduced me to the N.C.F. and consistently encouraged me to trust my judgment as an empirical truth seeker. When it comes to nurturant fathering, he is a natural in both the academic and interpersonal arenas. Dr. Howard Macy and Dr. Kathleen Kleiner were gracious and auspicious goaders. I appreciated their questions and encouragement. Several friends have given empirical, editorial, and emotional assistance. Dr. Bart Fowler and Dr. Brad Johnson graciously shared their literature and their stimulating expertise in the area of fatherhood. The time consuming and arduous tasks of line editing and data entry was tamed with the help of Mr. Mike Bay, Ms. Rachel Kraft, and Mrs. Susan Fawver. They calmed my writing worries with their knowledge and skill. Emotional support has come from many sources within my church, work, and neighborhood conununities. As I have worked on this project I have come to rely on the support, prayers, and encouragement of Dr. Kathryn Wurtz and Mr. Phil Thornburg. My friends Victor Arreaga, Antecedents of Nurturant Fathering - v111 Cesar Gonzalez, and Steve Bo continued to provide me with persevering support and Godly camaraderie. I am grateful for the influence of my own parents, Tristram and Carolyn Swan, on my practice of nurturant fathering. They have encouraged and endured my questioning and they have believed in me during my triumphs as well as my tears. Perhaps my grandparents, Don and Donita Dyer, have equally contributed to my love of family. Certainly Grandmother's example as a writer boosted my confidence for this project and certainly Papa's example as a grand-father left me with a burning desire to be a man as he was: truth seeking and life affirming. My love of fatherhood was partly bred by the children I nurture. Sierra Marie's 9 month life gave me a glimpse of how great and terrible is the God I serve and how precious is every life he creates. Taylor D. and Samuel D., have patiently put up with my work on the dissertation. Though we race toward common goals, I pray that I will always stay ahead of them in love. That is, that I will always love them more than they can comprehend at the time. I am proud to call them my boys and I hope that I will forever be haunted and delighted by their hopeful plea "Daddy, come play with me." The friend who has supported my fatherhood research more than any other is my wife, Lori Swan. Even through the pressured years of graduate school, the birth of our Antecedents of Nurturant Fathering - ix three children, and the death of our daughter, Lori's love has remained as yielded as a tender flower and as dependable as steel. I am a lucky man to be united with her in marriage. I am grateful for the endless ways she found to support this work, and particularly for the ways she persistently entices me to release my mind from the world of ideas in order to embrace life. Antecedents of Nurturant Fathering - x TABLE OF CONTENTS Approval Page .................................... ii Abstract ................................... iii Acknowledgements . vi Table of Contents ..................................... x List of Tables .................................... xv List of Figures .................................. xvii CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION ................................ 1 Purpose ..................................... 6 Literature Review ................................. 7 Fatherhood and Society ....................... 8 A Social Prescription ..................... 9 Nurturant Ideology in Western History .... 12 Shifts in Family Responsibilities ... 15 Gender Roles ........................ 22 Nurturant Fathers--Empirical Descriptions 26 Theoretical Analysis of Fatherhood .......... 33 Identity Theory .......................... 34 Developmental Theory ..................... 35 Oedipal Development ................. 36 Pre-Oedipal Attachments ............. 37 Adolescence ......................... 40 Father Involvement ........................... 42 Importance for Children .................. 43 Motivations and Barriers to Involvement .. 47 Noninvol vement .............................. 52 Correlates
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