Father Identity Enactment and Paternal Psychological Well-Being: The Moderating Roles of Contexts

Abstract

Drawing upon the refined version of identity theory, this study examined whether the indirect path from father role identity salience (FRIS) to paternal psychological well-being via father involvement would differ depending on within- and outside-family contexts (i.e., the presence of preschool-aged child[ren] and work-to-family conflict [WFC]). To examine the moderated mediation hypothesis, multigroup path analysis with the bootstrapping method was conducted using self-reports of working fathers with a child[ren] under 18 years old (N = 244). Results revealed that the direct association between greater FRIS and better paternal psychological well-being was significant regardless of the presence of preschool children or levels of WFC. The indirect association through father involvement was 1) significant for fathers both with and without preschool-aged children, but significantly greater for fathers with preschoolers, and 2) only significant for fathers with low WFC. To enhance fathers’ well-being, more efforts are necessary to support the enactment of father identity and to create father-friendly workplaces.