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Does father absence influence children's gender development? Findings from a general population study of preschool children

Stevens, Madeleine ORCID: 0000-0003-3540-3494, Golombok, Susan and Beveridge, Michael (2002) Does father absence influence children's gender development? Findings from a general population study of preschool children. Parenting Science and Practice, 2 (1). pp. 47-60. ISSN 1529-5192

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Identification Number: 10.1207/S15327922PAR0201_3

Abstract

Objective. This study aimed to investigate whether preschool children in father-absent families are less gender-typed than their counterparts from father- present homes. Design. Samples of 283 single-mother families, including a subsample of 136 families where the child had no contact with the father, and 6,420 nuclear families were obtained from a longitudinal population study of 14,000 mothers and their children. Gender-role behavior was assessed when the child was 42 months old using the Pre-School Activities Inventory, a reliable and valid instrument designed to discriminate within as well as between the sexes. Results. No difference in parent-reported gender-role behavior was found between father-present and father-absent families for either boys or girls. Conclusions. The findings suggest that the gender-role behavior of preschool children develops typically despite the absence of a live-in father figure.

Item Type: Article
Official URL: http://www.parentingscienceandpractice.com
Additional Information: © 2002 Lawrence Erlbaum Associates
Divisions: Personal Social Services Research Unit
Subjects: B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
H Social Sciences > HQ The family. Marriage. Woman
Date Deposited: 03 Apr 2012 10:21
Last Modified: 22 Feb 2024 03:30
URI: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/42920

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