Predictors of Father Involvement: Testing the Lamb-Pleck Model

Fathers’ involvement in parenting is critical to child outcomes, yet little is known about what predicts involvement. The purpose of this correlational study was to test a model of father involvement proposed by Lamb, Pleck, Charnov, & Levine (1987) and later extended by Pleck (2010). The study aimed to test the reconceptualised model in an Australian sample and extend the model by examining the additional influence of psychological distress. Participants were fathers over 18 years of age of children aged 0 to 6 years old, recruited by convenience sampling. Participants completed online or hard copy surveys consisting of measures assessing father involvement and psychological distress. This study demonstrated the utility of the Lamb-Pleck model in Australian research, indicating that the inclusion and further investigation of psychological characteristics is warranted in explaining the variables that influence father involvement. Finally a model of father involvement with the inclusion of psychological distress is presented.