According to a recent study, youngsters who grow up cohabiting with their fathers typically experience a sense of closeness, establishing strong bonds that endure through the turbulent teenage period.
Residency in the same household, particularly in recent times, emerged as the most significant indicator of a strong father-child connection during adolescence, irrespective of the marital status of the parents.
Academics from the University of Michigan, University of Nevada-Las Vegas, and The Ohio State University concentrated on father-child dynamics, which are examined less often than mother-child interactions, to gain deeper insights into adolescent growth.
This research, featured in a special edition of the journal Family Relations, illustrates how social scientists are leveraging sophisticated machine learning to pioneer new developments in family studies.
“Fathers are often excluded from research, yet their viewpoints are important,” stated Kaitlin Ward, a researcher at U-M in the School of Social Work and co-author of the study. “It can be difficult to study fathers as there frequently exists less data about them.”
For instance, in longitudinal research, mothers are generally more inclined to reply to surveys compared to fathers, so researchers commonly depend on maternal reports. This study was distinctive, as it incorporated feedback from thousands of racially and socioeconomically varied fathers throughout the United States. This lays a foundation for more inclusive and detailed explorations into fatherhood.
This research highlights how scholars can harness existing data from fathers themselves (almost 3,000 participants in the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study), underscoring how their insights and experiences throughout childhood influence the quality of their relationships with their offspring.
The findings of the study are clear-cut: regular, engaged participation from fathers fosters connection during adolescence.
“When fathers regularly converse with their children, assist with assignments, and demonstrate interest in their lives, it fortifies their relationships over time,” commented Garrett Pace, the principal author of the study and an assistant professor at UNLV. “These routine interactions, especially during late childhood, are crucial for nurturing lasting connections.”
The authors of the study include OSU assistant professor Joyce Lee and U-M researcher Olivia Chang.
