Department of Human Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH.
Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH.
Fam Process. 2020 Jun;59(2):571-585. doi: 10.1111/famp.12451. Epub 2019 Apr 9.
Although the association between maternal gatekeeping and relationship functioning has been explored by a few studies, none of these have focused on fathers' perceptions of these constructs. Given that today's new fathers are challenged by elevated expectations for active parenting and coparenting even as most new mothers remain primary caregivers of infant children, this is a critical omission. This study examined the associations between new fathers' perceptions of maternal gatekeeping and change in dyadic adjustment as mediated through coparenting closeness. Maternal gatekeeping was reported by 182 fathers at 3 months postpartum, coparenting closeness was reported at 3 and 6 months postpartum, and dyadic adjustment was reported during the third trimester of pregnancy and at 9 months postpartum. Fathers' perceptions of relative change in coparenting closeness from 3 to 6 months mediated associations between fathers' perceptions of maternal gatekeeping at 3 months and relative change in dyadic adjustment from the third trimester to 9 months postpartum. In particular, findings indicate that greater perceived maternal gate opening was associated with higher levels of dyadic adjustment through higher levels of coparenting closeness, whereas greater perceived maternal gate closing was associated with lower levels of dyadic adjustment through lower levels of coparenting closeness. This study highlights the importance of studying fathers in the context of the family system and the role of the coparenting relationship at the transition to parenthood in couple relationship functioning.
虽然有一些研究探讨了母亲把关与关系功能之间的关联，但这些研究都没有关注父亲对这些结构的看法。鉴于当今的新父亲面临着更高的积极育儿和共同育儿期望的挑战，而大多数新母亲仍然是婴儿子女的主要照顾者，这是一个关键的遗漏。本研究考察了新父亲对母亲把关的看法与通过共同养育亲密感而变化的对偶调整之间的关联。182 位父亲在产后 3 个月报告了母亲把关，在产后 3 个月和 6 个月报告了共同养育亲密感，在妊娠晚期和产后 9 个月报告了对偶调整。父亲对从 3 个月到 6 个月共同养育亲密感相对变化的看法，中介了父亲在 3 个月时对母亲把关的看法与从妊娠晚期到产后 9 个月相对变化的对偶调整之间的关联。具体而言，研究结果表明，通过更高水平的共同养育亲密感，更高水平的感知母亲把关开放与更高水平的对偶调整相关，而通过更低水平的共同养育亲密感，感知母亲把关关闭与更低水平的对偶调整相关。这项研究强调了在家庭系统背景下研究父亲的重要性，以及在向父母身份过渡时共同养育关系在夫妻关系功能中的作用。
