In individual sessions with 150 preschool children aged two through four, youngsters were asked to choose which parent (in the next room) they wanted to participate with them in each of seven play activities. Boys showed a strong father preference. Girls showed no parent preference when age groups were combined, but younger girls preferred…

A total of 16 mothers and 16 fathers were recorded in dyadic sessions with their children (eight five year olds, eight two year olds; half boys, half girls) and with an adult. Noise-free questions and declaratives were analyzed for pitch and frequency range. Results suggest that both fundamental frequency and range are significantly influenced by…

This study assessed the extent to which infants use fathers as referencing targets and the familial context that might mediate referencing to both parents. Infants used fathers and mothers as referencing targets to an equal extent. Marital satisfaction was found to be a significant modifier of referencing. (PCB)

Analysis of videotapes of 145 third graders playing with a parent showed (1) that parents of girls were more likely to engage in sociable play, parents of boys in active play; and (2) that maternal behavior remained relatively constant regardless of child's sex while paternal behavior varied for boys and girls. (JMB)

Examined mothers' and children's reports of closeness to fathers using approach for reconciling discrepant survey responses. Findings suggest that closeness has entirely different meaning when fathers are resident than when they are nonresident. Meaning did not appear to vary when resident father was stepfather or whether focal child was son or…

Reports a combined interview and observation study of parent-child relationships in families with an eldest child aged six to seven years. Interview data focused on time spent with children, performance of child-need tasks, and frequency of parent-child interactions. (PCB)

Reviews empirical research dealing with father-infant interactions in the intact family. Results indicate fathers provide an extra source of stimulation as well as unique experiences for their infants. More similarities than differences exist in father-infant interactions as compared to mother-infant interactions; however, fathers exhibit more…

Investigates the hypotheses that among adolescents an inverse relationship exists between parent and peer involvement, and that conflict with parents is associated with peer orientation. Data obtained from 64 male and female adolescents through telephone interviews did not support these hypotheses. (Author/MP)

Reviews literature for strongest position with respect to sex differences in parent-child relationships, namely that both parents' sex and child's sex contribute to four distinct dyad relationships. Found many claims and assumptions about the distinctness of relationships but little empirical evidence. When dyadic distinctness was found, it often…

Preschoolers were taped while individually interacting with each of their parents. Tapes were transcribed and the language forms used by children and parents were counted. These forms included constructions involving the contraction "let's"; colloquial lexical items such as "whatchamacallit"; tag questions such as "You're…

The data indicate that fathers do interact with their infants, and that they demonstrate charactersitic styles of interaction. (Author)

This study examined the involvement and satisfaction of adolescents with their fathers and mothers. Possible age and sex differences were investigated for three components of involvement: proportion of time spent with fathers and mothers, type of activities engaged in, and degree of satisfaction with those activities. (Author/LMO)

Differences were found between father/son and father/daughter dyads in such behaviors as father prohibitions, child mischievousness, mutual proximity, toy exchange, and child toy play. A total of 107 father/child dyads involving year-old children were observed. (Author/RH)

Based on a study of 231 families, it is held that when the amount of time fathers have available to spend with their children is considered, fathers' involvement with their children is equal to that of mothers'. (Authors/GC)

Examined whether mothers' and fathers' temperaments influence quality of relationships with sons and daughters and whether divergent relationships exist between adolescent temperament and adolescent-parent relationships for boys and girls. Survey results supported link between parent temperament, particularly maternal temperament, and quality of…