Psychological involvement in parenthood among Ukrainians

In a sample of 100 parents in Ukraine, the authors examined variables that affect the extent of psychological engagement in the role of parenthood. Th e participants completed questionnaires about their beliefs and expectation s as parents. As predicted by the triangle model of responsibility (B. R. S chlenker, 1997; B. R Schlenker, T. W. Britt, J.W. Pennington, R. Murphy, & K. J. Doherty, 1994), 3 variables significantly predicted psychological eng agement: task clarity (i.e., a clear understanding of the duties of a paren t), personal obligation (i.e., the duty to follow prescriptions for being a good parent), and personal control (i.e., personal control over aspects of child rearing). In addition, task clarity and personal obligation predicte d the participants' expectations of the quality of their children's futures ; however, personal control did not, perhaps because of contemporaneous eco nomic and political instability in Ukraine.