Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Fathering Self-Efficacy, Marital Satisfaction and Father Involvement in Hong Kong

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Child and Family Studies Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We examined the predictability of fathering self-efficacy and marital satisfaction on father involvement. The moderating effect of marital satisfaction on the relationship between father efficacy and father involvement was also explored. A cross-sectional survey was conducted using the convenience sampling method. A total of 2,029 valid questionnaires were collected from fathers with children aged 2–6 from 48 nurseries in Hong Kong. The fathers’ mean age is 39.1. 72.9 % of the fathers graduated from secondary school and 86 % had full-time jobs. Measures including self-efficacy subscale in the Parenting Sense of Competency Scale, the Index of Marital Satisfaction, the Inventory of Father Involvement were adopted in the present study. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that fathering self-efficacy and marital satisfaction were significant positive predictors of father involvement, whereas marital satisfaction moderated the effect of fathering self-efficacy on father involvement. It is thus important to improve martial satisfaction and enhance fathering self-efficacy for promoting father involvement. To gain a more comprehensive picture, future studies of father involvement may benefit by adopting a longitudinal research design, including the mothers and children as informants, and addressing other parenting correlates such as parenting stress and spousal support.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Allen, S., & Daly, K. (2007). The effect of father involvement: An updated research summary of the evidence inventory. Canada: FIRA-CURA Center for Families, Work and Well-Being, University of Guelph.

    Google Scholar 

  • Askari, M., Mohd Noah, M. B., Hassan, S. A. B., & Baba, M. B. (2012). Comparison the effects of communication and conflict resolution skills training on marital satisfaction. International Journal of Psychological Studies, 4(1), 182–195.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baharudin, R., Hong, C. Y., Lim, S. J., & Zulkefly, N. S. (2010). Educational goals, parenting practices and adolescents’ academic achievement. Asian Social Science, 6(12), 144–152.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. New York: Freeman.

  • Belsky, J. (1984). The determinants of parenting: A process model. Child Development, 55(1), 83–96.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bookwala, J. (2012). Marital quality as a moderator of the effects of poor vision on quality of life among older adults: Erratum. The Journals of Gerontology: Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 67B(1), 133.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bookwala, J., & Franks, M. M. (2005). Moderating role of marital quality in older adults’ depressed affect: Beyond the main-effects model. The Journals of Gerontology: Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 60B(6), 338–341.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bradford, K., & Hawkins, A. J. (2006). Learning competent fathering: A longitudinal analysis of marital intimacy and fathering. Fathering, 4(3), 215–234.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Capps, R. C., Bronte-Tinkew, J., & Horowitz, A. (2010). Acculturation and father engagement with infants among Chinese and Mexican-origin immigrant fathers. Fathering, 8(1), 61–92.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Castillo, J., Welch, G., & Sarver, C. (2011). Fathering: The relationship between fathers’ residence, fathers’ socio-demographic characteristics, and father involvement. Maternal Child Health Journal, 15, 1342–1349.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Choi, S., & Aquilino, W. (2008). Fatherhood experiences and men’s psychological well-being. The Gerontologist, 48, 181–182.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coiro, M. J., & Emery, R. E. (1998). Do marriage problems affect fathering more than mothering? A quantitative and qualitative review. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 1(1), 23–40.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Corcoran, K., & Fischer, J. (1987). Measures for clinical practice: A sourcebook. New York: Free Press.

  • Cox, M. J., Owen, M. T., Lewis, J. M., & Henderson, V. K. (1989). Marriage, adult adjustment, and early parenting. Child Development, 60(5), 1015–1024.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Day, R. D., & Lamb, M. E. (2004). Conceptualizing and measuring father involvement: Pathways, problems and progress. In R. D. Day & M. E. Lamb (Eds.), Conceptualizing and measuring father involvement (pp. 1–15). Mahwah, NJ, US: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers.

  • Doherty, W. J., Kouneski, E. F., & Erickson, M. F. (1998). Responsible fathering: An overview and conceptual framework. Journal of Marriage and Family, 60(2), 277–292.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Erika, S., Lunkenheimer, J. E., Kittler, S. L., & Olson, F. K. (2006). The intergenerational transmission of physical punishment: Differing mechanisms in mothers’ and fathers’ endorsement? Journal of Family Violence, 21(8), 509–519.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fauber, R., Forehand, R., Thomas, A. M., & Wierson, M. (1990). A mediational model of the impact of marital conflict on adolescent adjustment in intact and divorced families: The role of disrupted parenting. Child Development, 61(4), 1112–1123.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Frech, A., & Williams, K. (2007). Depression and the psychological benefits of entering marriage. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 48(2), 149–163.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hawkins, A. J., Bradford, K. P., Christiansen, S. L., Palkovitz, R., Day, R. D., & Call, R. A. (2002). The inventory of father involvement: A pilot study of a new measure of father involvement. Journal of Men’s Studies, 10, 183–196.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hesketh, T., Shu, H. Z., & Lynch, M. A. (2000). Child abuse in China: The views and experiences of child health professionals. Child Abuse and Neglect, 6, 867–872.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Holmes, E. K., & Huston, A. C. (2010). Understanding positive father–child interaction: Children’s, fathers’, and mothers’ contribution. Fathering, 8(2), 203–225.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hu, Z. W. (2011). The social construction of sexuality—the interior and exterior of marriage. Modern Living and Liberal Education Conference, 4(1), 113–141.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hudson, D. B., Campbell-Grossman, C., Fleck, M. O., Elek, S. M., & Shipman, A. (2003). Effects of the New Fathers Network on first-time fathers’ parenting self-efficiency and parenting satisfaction during the transition to parenthood. Issues in Comprehensive Pediatric Nursing, 26(4), 217–229.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Jacobs, J. N., & Kelley, M. L. (2006). Predictors of paternal involvement in childcare in dual-earner families with young children. Fathering, 4(1), 23–47.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, D. L. (1981). The influence of an intensive parent education program on behavioral continuity of mothers and children. Child Study Journal, 11(4), 187–199.

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnston, C., & Mash, E. J. (1989). A measure of parenting satisfaction and efficacy. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 18(2), 167–175.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kalil, A., Ziol-Guest, K. M., & Coley, R. L. (2005). Perceptions of father involvement patterns in teenage-mother families: Predictors and links to mothers’ psychological adjustment. Family Relations: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Applied Family Studies, 54(2), 197–211.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kao, S. A., & Lu, L. (2006). The relationship of congruence in psychological traditionality/modernity to marital adjustment. Indigenous Psychological Research in Chinese Societies, 25, 47–100.

    Google Scholar 

  • Katz, L. F., & Gottman, J. M. (1996). Spillover effects of marital conflict: In search of parenting and co-parenting mechanisms. New Directions for Child Development, 74, 57–76.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kurdek, L. A. (1998). Developmental changes in marital satisfaction: A 6-year prospective longitudinal study of newlywed couples. In T. N. Bradbury (Ed.), The developmental course of marital dysfunction (pp. 180–204). NY: Cambridge University Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Lamb, M. E. (2004). The role of the father in child development (4th ed.). New York: Wiley.

  • Lamb, M. E. (Ed.). (2010). The role of the father in child development (5th ed.). Hoboken NJ: Wiley.

  • Lau, Y. K. (2010). The impact of fathers’ work and family conflicts on children’s self-esteem: The Hong Kong case. Social Indicators Research, 95(3), 363–376.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee, C. S., & Doherty, W. J. (2007). Marital satisfaction and father involvement during the transition to parenthood. Fathering, 5(2), 75–96.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leidy, M. S., Parke, R. D., Cladis, M., Coltrane, S., & Duffy, S. (2009). Positive marital quality, acculturative stress, and child outcomes among Mexican Americans. Journal of Marriage and Family, 71(4), 833–847.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leung, C., Sanders, M. R., Leung, S., Mak, R., & Lau, J. (2003). An outcome evaluation of the implementation of the triple P-Positive Parenting Program in Hong Kong. Family Process, 42(4), 531–544.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Leung, C., Tsang, S., & Dean, S. (2011). Outcome evaluation of the Hands-on Parent Empowerment (HOPE) program. Research on Social Work Practice, 21(5), 549–561.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu, X. X., & Du, Y. Z. (2004). A study of paternal involvement intention, involvement behavior. Involvement perception and its related factors. (Unpublished Doctoral). Tainan: National University of Tainan.

  • MacDonald, K., & Parke, R. D. (1986). Parent-child physical play: The effects of sex and age of children and parents. Sex Roles, 15(7–8), 367–378.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McBride, B. A., Schoppe, S. J., & Rane, T. R. (2002). Child characteristics, parenting stress, and parental involvement: Fathers versus mothers. Journal of Marriage and Family, 64(4), 998–1011.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Menéndez, S., Hidalgo, M. V., Jiménez, L., & Moreno, M. C. (2011). Father involvement and marital relationship during transition to parenthood: Differences between dual and single-earner families. The Spanish Journal of Psychology, 14(2), 639–647.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mullen, K. (1996). Marital statuses and men’s health. International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, 16(3), 47–67.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • O’Brien, M., & Bahadur, M. A. (1998). Marital aggression, mother’s problem-solving behavior with children, and children’s emotional and behavioral problems. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 17(3), 249–272.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ohan, J. L., Leung, D. W., & Johnston, C. (2000). The parenting sense of competence scale: Evidence of a stable factor structure and validity. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science, 32(4), 251–261.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Palm, G. F. (1993). Involved fatherhood: A second chance. The Journal of Men’s Studies, 2(2), 139–155.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parke, R. D., Coltrane, S., Duffy, S., Buriel, R., Dennis, J., Powers, J., et al. (2004). Economic stress, parenting, and child adjustment in Mexican American and European American families. Child Development, 75(6), 1632–1656.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Reece, S. M., & Harkless, G. (1998). Self-efficacy, stress, and parental adaptation: Applications to the care of childbearing families. Journal of Family Nursing, 4(2), 198–215.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roehling, P., Moen, P., & Batt, R. (2003). Spillover. In P. Moen (Ed.), It’s about time: Couples and careers (pp. 101–121). Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.

  • Salonen, A. H., Kaunonen, M., Åstedt-Kurki, P., Järvenpää, A., Isoaho, H., & Tarkka, M. (2009). Parenting self-efficacy after childbirth. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 65(11), 2324–2336.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sevigny, P. R., & Loutzenhiser, L. (2010). Predictors of parenting self-efficacy in mothers and fathers of toddlers. Child: Care, Health and Development, 36(2), 179–189.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shek, D. T. L. (1998). A longitudinal study of Hong Kong adolescents’ and parents’ perceptions of family functioning and well-being. The Journal of Genetic Psychology: Research and Theory on Human Development, 159(4), 389–403.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shek, D. T. L. (2001). Paternal and maternal influences on family functioning among Hong Kong Chinese families. The Journal of Genetic Psychology: Research and Theory on Human Development, 162(1), 56–74.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shek, D. T. L. (2005). Perceived parental control processes, parent–child relational qualities, and psychological well-being in Chinese adolescents with and without economic disadvantage. The Journal of Genetic Psychology: Research and Theory on Human Development, 166(2), 171–188.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tremblay, S., & Pierce, T. (2011). Perceptions of fatherhood: Longitudinal reciprocal associations within the couple. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science, 43(2), 99–110.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Whiteman, S. D., McHale, S. M., & Crouter, A. C. (2007). Longitudinal changes in marital relationships: The role of offspring’s pubertal development. Journal of Marriage and Family, 69, 1005–1020.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yang, K. S., & Yeh, M. H. (1997). Chinese familism: Conceptual analysis and empirical assessment. Bulletin of the Institute of Ethnology Academia Sinica, 83, 169–225.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank City University Strategic Research Grant for subsidizing this research.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Applied Social Studies, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, P.R. China

    Sylvia Y. C. L. Kwok, Chloe C. Y. Ling, Cyrus L. K. Leung & Jessica C. M. Li

Authors
  1. Sylvia Y. C. L. Kwok
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Chloe C. Y. Ling
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Cyrus L. K. Leung
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Jessica C. M. Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sylvia Y. C. L. Kwok.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kwok, S.Y.C.L., Ling, C.C.Y., Leung, C.L.K. et al. Fathering Self-Efficacy, Marital Satisfaction and Father Involvement in Hong Kong. J Child Fam Stud 22, 1051–1060 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-012-9666-1

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-012-9666-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation