Understanding noncustodial fathers' family and life satisfaction from resource theory perspective

The study is an exploratory attempt to examine family and life satisfaction of 212 noncustodial fathers 3 years following divorce, using path analysis to validate the hypothesized ordering among six dependent variables sugges ted by resource theory. Results indicated the significant predictors of fam ily and life satisfaction were perceived economic wellbeing, cooperative co mmunication during conflict and during coparenting, low importance of resou rce deprivation, and low frequency of conflict. Involvement with children w as not a significant predictor of family and life satisfaction; Resource th eory was helpful in generating the variables for the study and explaining n oncustodial fathers' perceptions of the relationship dynamics between forme r spouses who are coparenting children.