How perceived maternal gatekeeping affects fathers: An 8-week study
Rico A Fischer1, Matthew D Johnson2, Anna M Stertz1
1Institute of Psychology.
Summary
Mothers attempting to control father involvement (maternal gatekeeping) negatively impacts fathers' relationship quality and feelings of exclusion. This effect is stronger for fathers with avoidant attachment styles.
Area of Science:
- Family Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Relationship Science
Background:
- Maternal gatekeeping, defined as mothers' control over father involvement, is known to affect father-child relationships.
- Less research has examined the within-person fluctuations in perceived maternal gatekeeping and its impact on fathers' family outcomes.
- The moderating role of paternal attachment styles in these associations remains underexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the within-person effect of negative maternal gatekeeping on fathers' weekly reports of romantic relationship quality and feelings of exclusion.
- To examine whether fathers' attachment styles moderate the association between perceived maternal gatekeeping and fathers' family outcomes.
Main Methods:
- A longitudinal online diary study was conducted over 8 weeks with 277 Canadian and German fathers of children under 6.
- Data collected weekly included perceptions of maternal gatekeeping, romantic relationship quality, and feelings of family exclusion.
- Multilevel structural equation modeling was used to analyze the within-person effects and moderation by attachment.
Main Results:
- Fathers reported lower positive and higher negative romantic relationship quality, and increased feelings of exclusion during weeks with higher perceived maternal gatekeeping.
- Avoidant attachment moderated the effect of maternal gatekeeping on negative romantic relationship quality.
- Specifically, increased maternal gatekeeping was more strongly associated with higher negative relationship quality for fathers with higher avoidant attachment.
Conclusions:
- Perceived maternal gatekeeping has significant within-person effects on fathers' romantic relationship quality and feelings of family exclusion.
- Paternal attachment, particularly avoidant attachment, plays a crucial role in how fathers experience and react to maternal gatekeeping.
- Findings highlight the dynamic interplay between maternal gatekeeping, paternal attachment, and fathers' family well-being within the family system.
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