A research article written by Danielle J. DelPriore, assistant professor of psychology, will be published in Developmental Psychology, a peer-reviewed academic journal published by the American Psychological Association.
The article, “The Effects of Father’s on Daughters’ Expectations for Men,” examines the effects of fathers, including their presence or absence in the home and the quality of their behavior, on daughters’ expectations for men as relationships partners and as parents in adulthood. The study included 223 adult sister pairs an average of five-and-a-half years apart in age. These women answered questions about their childhood experiences with their fathers, as well as their current expectations for men’s behavior in romantic relationships. The study found that daughters who experienced low-quality paternal behavior (i.e., high social deviance, low warmth/involvement) during childhood reported lower expectations for men's investment in their relationships (e.g., willingness to provide emotional and financial support) as adults. These lowered expectations predicted higher numbers of sexual partners (past and anticipated) among these women.
The article can be read on the American Psychological Association site.