Father-child separation, retrospective and current views of attachment relationship with father, and self-esteem in late adolescence

Relationships between paternal separation in childhood and adult measures o f self-esteem, paternal acceptance and independence-encouragement were inve stigated with 236 nonparent college students as subjects. Current relations hip with father was measured by a modified Version of Epstein's Mother-Fath er-Peer Scale. Self-esteem was measured by Coopersmith's Self-esteem Invent ory. Individuals who experienced separation for all reasons from their fath ers during childhood recounted less acceptance by their fathers in late ado lescence but not less independence-encouragement. Individuals whose parents had divorced (whether or not they had experienced a significant separation ) reported lower acceptance by their fathers in both childhood and in late adolescence, and they attained lower scores on self-esteem.