Father Involvement, Father–Child Relationship Quality, and Satisfaction With Family Work: Actor and Partner Influences on Marital Quality

• Published in: Journal of family issues 2014-11, Vol.35 (13), p.1846-1867
• Main Authors: Galovan, Adam M., Holmes, Erin Kramer, Schramm, David G., Lee, Thomas R.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Child Rearing; Division of Labor; Families & family life; Family (Sociological Unit); Family Work Relationship; Fathers; Husbands; Interdependence; Intergenerational relationships; Interpersonal Relations; Labor; Labor Force Participation; Parent Child Relationship; Participation; Perceptions; Quality; Spouses; Systems Approach; Wives
• ISSN: 0192-513X; 1552-5481
• DOI: 10.1177/0192513X13479948

Using family systems theory and an actor–partner interdependence model, we examine the influence of the division of family work (including fathers’ participation in child rearing) on father–child relationship quality, satisfaction with the family work division, and marital quality. The strongest effect on both spouses’ marital quality is wives’ perception of father–child relationship quality. Following this, wives’ perceptions of father participation in child rearing are positively associated with both spouses’ reports of marital quality. Furthermore, both husbands and wives report higher marital quality when they are more satisfied with the division of labor. When wives report their husbands have greater responsibility for family tasks, both spouses report higher satisfaction with the division of labor. Post hoc analyses revealed that wives are more satisfied with the division of labor when they work with their spouse rather than alone. All findings support a systemic relational orientation to family work, the division of roles, and relationship quality.