Parental and Child Correlates of Preschool Boys' Social Competence (Child Development, Fathers, Social Problem Solving).

Abstract

Studies on the correlates of social competence have rarely considered the role of the father or utilized models of joint parental influence. This study examined the relationship of the degree of father involvement to boys' social competence. Then an addictive and an interactive model for conceptualizing the role of both parents' behavior of social competence were compared. The relationship of two theoretically relevant variables to social competence, boys' interpersonal problem solving skills and locus of control, was also explored. The subjects were 32 middle class preschool boys and their parents. Children and parents were interviewed separately. Child interviews included measures of interpersonal problem solving skills, locus of control, and self perception of social competence. Parent interviews included measures of father involvement in child care, childrearing style, age expectations for child behavior and locus of control. Teacher ratings of boys' social competence were obtained. The degree of father involvement was positively related to boys' social competence. The percentage of time the father spent as the prime caregiver and the degree of his involvement in decision making regarding his son were central to his relationship. The interactive model was more useful than the additive model in conceptualizing joint parental influence on boys social competence. Findings indicate that in families where fathers are highly involved in child care and mothers have a suggestive (vs. directive) childrearing style and early age expectations for independent behavior, sons are more likely to be socially competent. In families where fathers are less involved, maternal childrearing behaviors are not related to boys' social competence. The quality, but not the quantity, of boys' interpersonal problem solving strategies was related to social competence. Boys' locus of control was not related to teacher ratings of social competence. Findings were discussed in terms of their implications for intervention programs and future research into the development of social competence.