Father-Daughter Relationship in Divorced and Non-Divorced Families with Respect to Self-Esteem, Fear of Intimacy, and Views on Relationships

Abstract

The father-daughter relationship in divorced and non-divorced families was explored in a sample of 123 female college students of the White, African American and Hispanic ethnicities. The variables of interest in the study included but were not limited to self-esteem, fear of intimacy, and views on romantic relationships.

Women who reported having high interparental conflict, also reported having lower quality father-daughter relationships. On the other hand, women who reported having a high family support system also reported having higher quality father-daughter relationships. Overall, participants' recounts of their father-daughter relationship did not predict their fears of intimacy or self-esteem. Self-esteem was the best predictor of fear of intimacy, and fear of intimacy and perceived support from family members best predicted self-esteem. It was found that participants who came from intact families reported having a higher quality relationship with their fathers than those who came from divorced families, and that participants who had custodial fathers reported having a significantly higher quality relationship with their fathers in comparison to those with custodial mothers.

In regards to ethnic differences, Hispanic participants reported having a higher quality relationship with their fathers in comparison to Whites, who in turn reported having a higher quality relationship with their fathers than African Americans. It was also found that Hispanic females had the highest self-esteem, followed by African American and then White females. Interest in marriage transcended the ethnic backgrounds with all of the females having roughly the same interest in marriage regardless of ethnicity and family status.

Notes

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Thesis Completion

2005

Semester

Summer

Advisor

Negy, Charles

Degree

Bachelor of Science (B.S.)

College

College of Arts and Sciences

Degree Program

Psychology

Subjects

Arts and Sciences -- Dissertations, Academic; Dissertations, Academic -- Arts and Sciences; Fathers and daughters -- Communication; Fathers and daughters -- Psychological aspects

Format

Print

Identifier

DP0022018

Language

English

Access Status

Open Access

Length of Campus-only Access

None

Document Type

Honors in the Major Thesis

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