Conditional fatherhood: Identity theory and parental investment theory as alternative sources of explanation of fathering

Two alternative theoretical models of parenting, identity theory and parent al investment theory, are investigated as sources of explanation of men's f athering attitudes and behaviors. Four dimensions of fathering are explored : responsivity, harshness. behavioral engagement, and affective involvement . Concepts from identity theory operationalized as predictors include fathe r role salience, role satisfaction, and reflected appraisals. From parental investment theory, concepts included investment maximization, contingent c ommitment, and paternity certitude. Using telephone survey dam drawn from a community-based probability sample of 208 fathers, each of the four indivi dual indicators of fathering and a composite fathering measure were regress ed against the theoretical predictors in hierarchical regression analyses. Both theoretical models were significant, with identity theory predictors a ccounting for a greater proportion of variance than the parental investment theory predictors. This study underlines the importance of social psycholo gical variables to understanding variations in men's commitments to childre n.