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Fathering Behavior and Emerging Adult Romantic Relationship Quality: Individual and Constellations of Behavior

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Abstract

Based on attachment, socialization, and social learning theories, it was hypothesized that fathers’ parenting style and fathers’ specific behaviors would be related to emerging adults’ romantic relationship quality. These hypotheses were partially supported. Hierarchical regression analyses examined one hundred twenty-eight 18- and 19-year-olds in romantic relationships. For males, more paternal warmth and less psychological control were related to more support in a romantic relationship. For both males and females, more psychological control was related to more relationship conflict. Additionally, for males, perceptions of better paternal attentiveness, praise and affection, time and talking, mother support, and school encouragement were related to more relationship support, as was more global father involvement. Perceptions of better attentiveness and school encouragement were related to more depth in romantic relationships for males. The original 9-factor structure of Hawkins et al.’s (J Men’s Stud 10:183–196, 2002) Inventory of Father Involvement was not confirmed for offspring reports. However, an 8-factor structure with one second-order factor was supported.

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  1. The Pennsylvania State University, 402 Marion Place, University Park, PA, 16802, USA

    Jennifer K. Karre

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  1. Jennifer K. Karre
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Correspondence to Jennifer K. Karre.

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Karre, J.K. Fathering Behavior and Emerging Adult Romantic Relationship Quality: Individual and Constellations of Behavior. J Adult Dev 22, 148–158 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10804-015-9208-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10804-015-9208-3

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