Father Presence And Adolescent Girls’ Resilience: Mediating Psychological Factors

Resilience refers to an individual’s ability to adapt and bounce back from adversity.

Psychological security involves feeling safe and confident in one’s relationships and environment.

Achievement goal orientation relates to how individuals approach learning and performance tasks.

These factors are closely tied to parental attachment, as secure relationships with parents can foster resilience, provide a foundation for psychological security, and influence how children approach challenges and set goals.

Strong parental attachment, particularly with fathers, may positively impact these psychological factors in adolescent development.

Zhou, J., Wei, X., & Xue, L. Father Presence, Adolescent Girls’ Resilience, Psychological Security, and Achievement Goal Orientation: Examining Direct and Indirect Associations. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1403403. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1403403

Key Points

• Father presence was positively related to resilience in Chinese female high school students.
• Psychological security fully mediated the relationship between father presence and daughters’ resilience.
• Achievement goal orientation partially mediated the relationship between father presence and daughters’ resilience, specifically the mastery-approach and performance-approach orientations.
• Factors like father presence, psychological security, and achievement goal orientation significantly affect resilience in adolescent girls.
• This research highlights the importance of considering the meaning and implications of father presence and daughter’s resilience in Chinese culture.
• Limitations include the cross-sectional design, lack of assessment of family structure, and homogeneity of the sample.
• The study demonstrates the universal relevance of father-daughter relationships in promoting resilience and positive developmental outcomes in adolescent girls across cultures.

Rationale

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between father presence and resilience in adolescent girls in China, as well as examine potential mediating factors.

The rationale for this research stems from several key points:

1. Increasing rates of depression among Chinese adolescents, with prevalence reaching 15-20% (Institute of Depression, 2022). This highlights the need to understand factors that can promote resilience.
2. The unique challenges faced by adolescent girls, including increased emotional sensitivity and vulnerability to peer isolation and family neglect (Jiang et al., 2022).
3. Limited research on the importance of fathers in parent-child relationships, especially father-daughter relationships (Allgood et al., 2012; Coley, 2003).
4. Previous findings suggesting father presence is positively associated with children’s resilience (Wu et al., 2017; Crockett et al., 1993), but a lack of studies examining the mechanisms through which this occurs.
5. The need to explore how cultural factors in China may influence the relationship between father presence and daughters’ resilience.

By examining these relationships and potential mediating factors like psychological security and achievement goal orientation, this study aimed to provide insights that could inform interventions to promote resilience in adolescent girls.

What do we know?

• Father presence has been found to positively influence children’s resilience, psychological security, achievement goal orientation, and confidence (Pu et al., 2012; Yang & Zhang, 2016).
• The father-daughter relationship has been linked to daughters’ personality development, love and work styles, and mental health outcomes (Hetherngton, 1972; Soh, 1993; Gao, 2013).
• Attachment theory suggests the father-daughter relationship impacts daughters’ interpersonal security and psychological well-being (Bowlby, 1988).
• Achievement goal orientation has been identified as a protective factor in fostering individual resilience (Garmezy et al., 1984).
• Chinese studies have found father presence intensifies resilience in adolescent girls when coping with risks (Pu et al., 2012).

What’s the next step?

• Examine the specific mechanisms through which father presence influences daughters’ resilience in the Chinese cultural context.
• Investigate potential mediating factors like psychological security and achievement goal orientation in the relationship between father presence and resilience.
• Explore how different dimensions of psychological security and achievement goal orientation may differentially mediate this relationship.
• Consider how findings may inform interventions to promote resilience in Chinese adolescent girls.

Method

Procedure

The study employed a cross-sectional survey design. Participants completed questionnaires assessing father presence, psychological security, achievement goal orientation, and resilience.

The survey was conducted in classrooms to ensure students completed the task independently without parental interference.

Sample

A total of 718 female students from four schools (two middle schools and two senior high schools) in Jiangsu and Shanxi provinces in China were randomly selected for the study.

After removing 51 invalid questionnaires, the final sample consisted of 667 participants (effective response rate: 92.9%). Participants were aged 13-18 years and from grades 7-12.

The sample included both urban (59.1%) and rural (40.9%) students, with 53.8% being only children.

Measures

1. Father Presence Questionnaire (Krampe & Newton, 2006; Chinese version by Xue, 2019):

• 38 items, 7 dimensions
• 5-point Likert scale
• Cronbach’s α = 0.878

2. Security Questionnaire (SQ) (Cong & An, 2004):

• 16 items, 2 dimensions (interpersonal security, deterministic control)
• 5-point Likert scale
• Cronbach’s α = 0.921

3. Achievement Goal Orientation Questionnaire (revised from Vandewalle, 2001):

• 14 items, 3 dimensions (mastery learning goal, achievement approach goal, achievement avoidance goal)
• 5-point Likert scale
• Cronbach’s α = 0.899

4. Adolescent Psychological Resilience Scale (Hu & Gan, 2008):

• 27 items, 5 dimensions
• 5-point Likert scale
• Cronbach’s α = 0.880

Statistical measures

The study employed various statistical analyses using SPSS21.0, AMOS17.0, and MPLUS7.0:

1. Exploratory factor analysis
2. Descriptive analysis
3. Correlation analysis
4. Regression analysis
5. Confirmatory factor analysis
6. Mediation analysis using structural equation modeling
7. Bootstrap analysis (5,000 samples, 96% confidence interval)

Common method variance was assessed using a single-factor test.

Results

Hypothesis 1: Father presence, psychological security, achievement goal orientation, and resilience would be positively related.

Result: Supported. Significant positive correlations were found between all variables.

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Hypothesis 2: Father presence would positively predict daughters’ resilience.

Result: Supported. Father presence significantly predicted resilience (β = 0.132, t = 4.78, p < 0.01).

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Hypothesis 3: Psychological security would mediate the association between father presence and daughters’ resilience.

Result: Supported. Psychological security fully mediated the relationship between father presence and resilience. Specifically, interpersonal security (a sub-factor of psychological security) showed a complete mediating effect.

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Hypothesis 4: Achievement goal orientation would mediate the association between father presence and daughters’ resilience.

Result: Partially supported. Achievement goal orientation partially mediated the relationship. Specifically, mastery-approach and performance-approach orientations showed significant mediating effects, while achievement avoidance orientation did not.

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Additional findings:

• Psychological security was the strongest predictor of resilience (β = 0.512, t = 17.734, p < 0.001).
• The mediating model for psychological security showed good fit: χ2/df = 3.710, RMSEA = 0.071, CFI = 0.926, TLI = 0.908, SRMR = 0.056.
• The mediating model for achievement goal orientation showed acceptable fit: χ2/df = 4.110, RMSEA = 0.078, CFI = 0.941, TLI = 0.901, SRMR = 0.072.

Insight

This study provides valuable insights into the complex relationship between father presence and resilience in Chinese adolescent girls.

The findings extend previous research by identifying specific mechanisms through which father presence influences daughters’ resilience in a non-Western cultural context.

Key insights include:

1. The importance of father presence: The study confirms that father presence plays a significant role in promoting resilience among Chinese adolescent girls. This highlights the need to recognize and support fathers’ involvement in their daughters’ lives.
2. Psychological security as a crucial mediator: The full mediation effect of psychological security, particularly interpersonal security, suggests that father presence primarily influences resilience by enhancing daughters’ sense of security in relationships. This underscores the importance of fathers in providing a secure emotional base for their daughters.
3. Differential effects of achievement goal orientations: The partial mediation of mastery-approach and performance-approach orientations, but not avoidance orientation, provides nuanced understanding of how father presence may influence daughters’ academic motivations and, in turn, their resilience.
4. Cultural considerations: The study extends previous findings from Western contexts to Chinese culture, suggesting some universality in the importance of father-daughter relationships while also highlighting potential cultural nuances.

These findings inform future research directions, such as:

1. Longitudinal studies to examine the dynamic relationships between variables over time.
2. Cross-cultural comparisons to identify universal and culture-specific aspects of father-daughter relationships and resilience.
3. Intervention studies targeting father involvement and psychological security to promote resilience in adolescent girls.
4. Exploration of other potential mediating factors, such as self-esteem or coping strategies.

Strengths

The study had several methodological strengths:

1. Large sample size (N = 667) providing good statistical power.
2. Use of validated measures adapted for Chinese populations.
3. Examination of multiple mediating factors, allowing for a more comprehensive understanding of the relationships between variables.
4. Rigorous statistical analyses, including structural equation modeling and bootstrap analyses.
5. Consideration of both direct and indirect effects in the mediation models.
6. Inclusion of both urban and rural participants, increasing generalizability within the Chinese context.
7. High response rate (92.9%), reducing potential bias from non-response.
8. Assessment of common method variance to address potential bias.

Limitations

This study also had several methodological limitations, including:

1. Cross-sectional design: The study’s cross-sectional nature limits causal inferences and cannot account for potential bidirectional relationships between variables.
2. Lack of family structure assessment: The study did not consider family structure (e.g., single-parent vs. two-parent households), which could influence the results.
3. Sample homogeneity: The sample was limited to female students from two Chinese provinces, potentially limiting generalizability to other regions or cultures.
4. Self-report measures: Reliance on self-report questionnaires may introduce bias and doesn’t capture objective measures of father presence or resilience.
5. Limited age range: The study focused on adolescents aged 13-18, not capturing potential differences in younger or older age groups.
6. Lack of consideration of mother’s role: The study did not explore the unique contributions of mothers to adolescent resilience, which could provide a more comprehensive understanding of parental influences.
7. Potential confounding variables: Other factors that might influence resilience (e.g., socioeconomic status, peer relationships) were not controlled for in the analyses.

These limitations suggest caution in interpreting and generalizing the results.

Future research should address these limitations to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the relationships between father presence, psychological factors, and resilience in adolescent girls.

Implications

The findings of this study have several important implications:

1. Clinical practice: Mental health professionals working with adolescent girls should consider the role of father-daughter relationships in promoting resilience. Interventions that enhance father involvement and improve the quality of father-daughter relationships may be beneficial in preventing or treating mental health issues in adolescent girls.
2. Parenting education: Programs aimed at fathers should emphasize the importance of their presence and involvement in their daughters’ lives, particularly in fostering psychological security and promoting adaptive achievement goal orientations.
3. School-based interventions: Educational institutions can develop programs that promote positive father involvement and help students develop psychological security and adaptive achievement goal orientations.
4. Cultural considerations: The findings suggest that the importance of father presence may be universal across cultures, but interventions should be tailored to specific cultural contexts.
5. Policy implications: Policies that support father involvement, such as paternal leave and flexible work arrangements, may have indirect benefits for adolescent girls’ mental health and resilience.
6. Prevention strategies: By identifying factors that contribute to resilience, this research can inform the development of prevention strategies for mental health issues in adolescent girls.

Variables that may influence the results include:

1. Cultural norms and expectations regarding father roles
2. Socioeconomic factors affecting father presence and involvement
3. Family structure (e.g., single-parent households, extended family involvement)
4. Quality of father-daughter relationship beyond mere presence
5. Individual differences in personality and temperament
6. Broader social support networks
7. Academic pressures and expectations in the Chinese educational system

Understanding these influencing factors is crucial for developing effective interventions and policies to promote resilience in adolescent girls.

References

Primary reference

Zhou, J., Wei, X., & Xue, L. Father Presence, Adolescent Girls’ Resilience, Psychological Security, and Achievement Goal Orientation: Examining Direct and Indirect Associations. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1403403. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1403403

Other references

Allgood, S. M., Beckert, T. E., & Peterson, C. (2012). The role of father involvement in the perceived psychological well-being of young adult daughters: A retrospective study. North American Journal of Psychology, 14(1), 95-110.

Bowlby, J. (1988). Clinical applications of attachment: A secure base. London: Routlege.

Coley, R. L. (2003). Daughter‐father relationships and adolescent psychosocial functioning in low‐income African American families. Journal of Marriage and Family, 65(4), 867-875. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3737.2003.00867.x

Cong, Z., & An, L. J. (2004). Developing of security questionnaire and its reliability and validity. Chinese Mental Health Journal, 18, 97-99.

Crockett, L. J., Eggebeen, D. J., & Hawkins, A. J. (1993). Father’s presence and young children’s behavioral and cognitive adjustment. Journal of Family issues, 14(3), 355-377. https://doi.org/10.1177/019251393014003002

Gao, W. H. (2013). A multi-dimensional study on parent-child relationship of depressed adolescents. Beijing: Guangming Daily Press.

Garmezy, N., Masten, A. S., & Tellegen, A. (1984). The study of stress and competence in children: A building block for developmental psychopathology. Child development, 97-111. https://doi.org/10.2307/1129837

Hetherington, E. M. (1972). Effects of father absence on personality development in adolescent daughters. Developmental psychology, 7(3), 313. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0033339

Hu, Y. Q., & Gan, Y. Q. (2008). Development and psychometric validity of the resilience scale for Chinese adolescents. Acta Psychologica Sinica.  https://doi.org/10.3724/SP.J.1041.2008.00902

Institute of Depression. (2022). 2022 National Depression Blue Book: Focus on people with high incidence of depression and the current situation of medical treatment. Retrieved from https://news.bjd.com.cn/2022/07/04/10112437.shtml

Jiang, W., Ji, M., Chi, X., & Sun, X. (2022). Relationship between adverse childhood experiences and mental health in Chinese adolescents: Differences among girls and boys. Children, 9(5), 689. https://doi.org/10.3390/children9050689

Krampe, E. M., & Newton, R. R. (2006). The father presence questionnaire: A new measure of the subjective experience of being fathered. Fathering: A Journal of Theory, Research & Practice about Men as Fathers, 4(2).

Pu, S. H., Li, X. H., Lu, Y. J., & Liu, Z. J. (2012). The influence of father presence on college students’ resilience. Journal of Xihua University (Philosophy & Social Sciences), 31, 103-106.

Soh, C. S. (1993). Fathers and daughters: Paternal influence among Korean women in politics. Ethos, 21(1), 53-78.

Vandewalle, D. (2001). Goal orientation: Advances in construct conceptualization and validation research. Human Resource Management Review, 13, 581-604.

Wu, G. L., Zhong, Q. Y., Ren, Y. Y., Wang, J. H., & Sun, L. L. (2017). The relationship between father presence and resilience of left-behind adolescent: the mediating effect of emotion regulation. Psychol. Explorat, 37, 476-480.

Yang, Y., & Zhang, Y. Q. (2016). Relationships of father presence, sense of security and interpersonal trust of college student. Educ. Res. Monthly, 2016, 27-32.

Keep Learning

1. How might cultural differences in father roles and expectations influence the relationship between father presence and daughters’ resilience across different societies?
2. In what ways could the increasing prevalence of non-traditional family structures (e.g., same-sex parents, single parents by choice) impact our understanding of the role of father presence in child development?
3. How might the findings of this study inform interventions for promoting resilience in adolescent girls who have limited or no access to their fathers?
4. What potential long-term effects might the relationship between father presence and resilience have on girls’ adult relationships and career outcomes?
5. How could technology and social media impact the nature of father presence and its effects on adolescent girls’ psychological security and resilience?
6. In what ways might the relationship between father presence and resilience differ for adolescent boys compared to girls?
7. How could schools and communities effectively support and promote positive father involvement, particularly in cultures where traditional gender roles may limit fathers’ engagement with their children?