Gender and cultural patterns of father´s attachment and links with children´s self competence, depression and loneliness in middle and late childhood

RICHAUD, M.C.

Denver, Colorado, USA

Simposio; Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development; 2009

Abstract The objectives of the present study are to analyze: 1) if children systems of attachments to mother and father are independent in middle and late childhood; 2) the connections between father and mother quality of attachment and the evolution of social and cognitive self-competence, as well as internalized emotions such as depression and loneliness in middle and late childhood, and 3) differences in attachment-emotion and self competence connections by gender according to the cultural context. Kerns’ Security Scale, Harter’s Self-Perception Profile for Children,  Harter and Nowakowski’s Dimensions of Depression Profile for children and adolescents, and Louvain Loneliness Scale for Children and Adolescents, were administered to 863 middle class children, aged 8 -12, both sexes. Results indicate it would seem that there exist two different bond models with father and mother and that these maintain to a certain extent independent during middle and late childhood. Concerning the relationship between mother and father attachment with children self competence and feelings, the results indicate that positive father-child relationships provide protection against depression and contribute to functional academic achievement, and self-esteem. There are differences in father and mother relationships depending on children gender, and these differences can be explained in part by cultural context.     Keywords: Attachment   Self-competence  Depression Loneliness