ICPR Abstracts: Session 22

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Session 22: Daytime Posters

Conceptual and Measurement Issues 
in Attachment Research

22.1
Processes of Adult Attachment Formation:
A Preliminary Test of a Theoretical Model

Debra Zeifman, Francesco Del Vecchio,
Inna Shchuchinsky, and Cindy Hazan
Cornell University

Adult attachment research typically presumes that 
romantic relationships are, by definition, attachment 
relationships. However, findings from our previous work 
indicate that such a presumption is not always warranted.  
We conducted a series of studies designed to evaluate the 
hypothesis that a primary difference between attached and 
nonattached status is the effect of a partner's presence and 
absence on overall arousal.  A variety of methods were 
employed, including observational, physiological, and self-
report.  The results provide insights into the processes by 
which adult attachment bonds are formed and suggest 
criteria for classifying individuals as attached or not. 

22.2
Attachment Styles and Internal Working 
Models of Self

Eva C. Klohnen and Oliver P. John
University of California, Berkeley

Internal working models underlie attachment patterns in 
relationships yet little work has examined how internal 
models differ among attachment styles. Experts assessed 
the prototypicality of a comprehensive list of adjectives for 
each attachment style. Based on these theory-derived 
prototypes, we constructed eight preliminary scales: 
secure, positive other, preoccupied, negative self, fearful 
avoidant, negative other, dismissive avoidant, and positive 
self. In a large sample we tested--and found evidence for--
the convergent and discriminant validity of the expert 
prototypes, and for the preliminary scales and their 
circumplex structure. We present a revised set of eight 10-
item scales to measure internal working models.

22.3
Working Models of Self and Others: 
Structure and Clarity

Katherine Kerr and Nancy Collins
State University of New York at Buffalo

The purpose of this study was to examine attachment style 
differences in the clarity of working models of self and 
others. Participants were asked to make judgments about 
themselves and the typical romantic partner using a series 
of bipolar scales (e.g. lovable-unlovable, accepting-
rejecting).  Half of the items were attachment-relevant and 
half were attachment-irrelevant.  Stimuli were presented 
on a computer so that response latencies could be 
recorded.  Results provide preliminary evidence that 
people differ not only with regard to the content of their 
working models of attachment, but also in terms of the 
structure, coherence, and accessibility of these models. 

22.4
Exploration of an Ambivalent Cluster Within the 
Preoccupied and Fearful Attachment Patterns

James M. Fuendeling
Michigan State University

The validity of an ambivalent/approach-avoidant pattern of 
adult attachment lying on the border of Bartholomew's 
Preoccupied and Fearful-avoidant styles was examined 
using Brennan and Shaver's Dimensions of Adult 
Attachments.  180 subjects scoring as Preoccupied or 
Fearful-avoidant on the Relationship Scales Questionnaire 
were separated into three groups based on a cluster 
analysis with the seven Dimensions of Adult Attachment 
as grouping variables.  The resulting groups' mean scores 
on the dimensions of attachment suggest that these groups 
correspond to theoretically typical Fearful avoidant types, 
Preoccupied types, and to a third group showing high 
anxiety and a combination of enmeshing and avoidant 
tendencies. 

22.5
Development of a New Multi-Item Measure of Adult 
Romantic Attachment:  A Preliminary Report

Kelly A. Brennan, University of Texas,
Phillip R. Shaver, and Catherine L. Clark
University of California, Davis


Adult romantic attachment has made many substantive 
strides since the field's inception in 1987.  Without an 
agreed-upon, common metric for researchers to use, 
however, the field will quickly splinter.  Toward that end, 
we conducted a survey developing new self-report 
attachment-style measures by combining and comparing 
existing self-report attachment measures.  We used factor 
and cluster-analytic techniques to determine the number of 
basic-level dimensions and confirm the existence of a 
higher-order, two- dimensional structure.  We then 
conducted a cluster-analysis with the two higher-order 
factors to produce an optimal number of clusters and 
tested the viability of those clusters with regard to 
subjects' self-classifications.

Stress and Coping

22.6
Personal Relationships and Social Change

Robin Goodwin
Bristol University

Despite the interest in social transitions amongst social 
scientists, there has been little systematic analysis of the 
impact of rapid change on personal relationships. In this 
study I propose two related models that address 1) rapid 
and unexpected socio- political changes and 2) planned 
social transitions. These models broadly predict that 
cultural, within group and individual-level factors predict 
the appraisal of change, and that the stress that arises from 
negative appraisals (threat or challenge) can then be 
mediated by social support. Negative appraisals plus a 
lack of appropriate support is predicted to impact 
negatively on the marital relationship. Data to assess these 
models is provided from two sets of studies in three 
Eastern Europe countries and in Hong Kong. 

22.7
Relationships, Personal Factors and Work Conditions 
As Sources Of Stress For Fire Department Employees: 
An Analysis of Employee and Spouse Perspectives

Mark Attridge, Joni Lapp, and Ruth Jackson
United HealthCare Corporation, Golden Valley, MN

This survey identifies and prioritizes the aspects of work 
and personal life that are perceived as stressful to the 
employees of a city fire department, both from the 
perspective of the employee and from that of the 
employee's romantic partner. A total of 22 of 33 areas 
were rated by a third or more of all employees as stressful, 
including maintaining relationships with a romantic 
partner, and maintaining relationships with children. 
Respondents tended to rate issues as more stressful for 
others than for themselves. Few significant differences 
were found between responses of romantic partners and 
employees.

22.8
Motivational Support and Motivational Hindrance
Have Opposing Influences on Optimism

Philip Ituarte
University of Pittsburgh

Little is known about the effects of the social environment 
on optimism, which is recognized as an important coping 
resource. This research proposed that two types of social 
interactions, motivational support and motivational 
hindrance, would have opposing influences on optimism.  
Study participants were graduating college seniors (n230) 
who shared a common goal.  The receipt of motivational 
support was associated with more optimism, and 
hindrance was associated with less optimism in cross-
sectional analyses.  Only motivational hindrance was 
predictive of optimism in longitudinal analyses.  
Compared to friends, motivational support provided by 
family members was especially influential on optimism in 
this sample.  Thus, the experience of optimism is 
responsive to social interactions. 

22.9
Attachment Style Differences in Supportive Exchanges

Brooke Feeney and Nancy Collins
State University of New York at Buffalo

This study examined attachment style differences in 
support-seeking and support-giving processes in dating 
couples.  Participants were 104 couples who participated 
in a video-taped, laboratory interaction.  During the 
interaction, one couple member was assigned the role of 
"stress-discloser" and the other the role of "support-
provider." Couples completed questionnaires to assess 
their perceptions of the interaction. In addition, objective 
ratings of support-seeking (e.g., level of emotional 
disclosure) and support-giving (e.g., eye contact, 
emotional support) behaviors were coded from the 
videotapes.  Results indicated that attachment style was an 
important predictor of partners' perceptions of the 
interaction as well as the more objective behaviors coded 
by independent observers. Implications for attachment 
theory and social support theory will be discussed. 

22.10
Personality and Coping Among Married Couples

Melady Preece, Tess O'Brien, Anita DeLongis, and 
Jennifer Campbell, University of British Columbia

This study examined personality and coping in an 
interactional context.  Married couples reported marital 
stressors and coping efforts each day for 14 consecutive 
days.  Personality was assessed with the NEO Five-factor 
Inventory (Costa & McCrae, 1989). Problem- and 
emotion-focused coping were measured with the Ways of 
Coping scale (Folkman, Lazarus, Dunkel- Schetter, 
DeLongis, & Gruen, 1986), and relationship-focused 
coping was measured with the Empathic Responding scale 
(O'Brien & DeLongis, in press-a & b). Results showed 
that ways of coping with marital stressors were predicted 
by the individual's personality, with additional variance in 
coping accounted for by the personality of the spouse. 

22.11
Agency, Unmitigated Agency and Adjustment to 
Prostate Cancer:The Role of Emotional Expressiveness

Vicki S. Helgeson and Stephen J. Lepore
Carnegie Mellon University

The goal of the study was to examine the relations of 
agency (focus on self) and unmitigated agency (focus on 
self to the exclusion of others) to adjustment to prostate 
cancer, and to determine the extent to which emotional 
expressiveness accounted for the associations.  Men 
recently diagnosed with prostate cancer (n=167) were 
returned questionnaires that assessed these constructs as 
well as a wide array of adjustment indices.  Agency was 
related to good adjustment, and unmitigated agency was 
related to poor adjustment across the indices.  Difficulty 
with emotional expression accounted for the relation of 
unmitigated agency to poor adjustment.

22.12
Response to Breast Cancer: Analysis of Couple 
Interactive Coping

Gretchen M. Zunkel
University of Washington

The diagnosis of breast cancer, now affecting one in eight 
women, is currently a dominant concern of the women's 
health agenda. Research studies are just beginning to 
examine the relational aspects of coping, adaptation, and 
healing which may result in immune system enhancement 
for cancer patients (Kiecolt-Glaser, Malarkey, Chee, 
Newton, Cacioppo, Mao & Glaser, 1993). This line of 
research will extend current research on interactive coping 
and elicitation of support behaviors from partners (Barbee, 
1990; Cutrona, Suhr, MacFarlane, 1990). This qualitative 
study will examine transcripts from women with a 
diagnosis of breast cancer and their male partners as well 
as couple interviews for evidence of factors in the dyadic 
relationship that reflect the interactive coping of the 
couple. 

22.13
Family Bereavement: A Study of Coping in Couples

I. Dijkstra, M. Stroebe, J. van den Bout, 
H. Schut, & W. Stroebe
Utrecht University

An ongoing project is described which studies grieving in 
a family context. In the past, too little recognition has been 
given to the fact that people do not grieve in complete 
isolation, but interact with others, some of whom are also 
grieving. This longitudinal study focuses on couples who 
have lost a child. It is assumed that the interdependence of 
coping processes within a marital dyad may result not only 
in mutual facilitation or interference in the grieving 
process itself, but may also be associated with changes in 
the marital relationship. The results of two small-scale 
studies are presented. 

Friendship -- Developmental, Cultural, 
and Individual Difference Factors

22.14
A Cross-Sectional Survey of Adult Friendships
 in the U.S.

Roger Baumgarte, Winthrop University
Elisabeth Gareis, Baruch College/CUNY

Developmental aspects of friendship are examined in 
survey data gathered on 500 adults of varying ages in the 
U.S.  With increasing age, these respondents report a 
decline in some of the negative aspects of their friendships 
such as criticism, conflict, jealousy and deception.  
However, corresponding declines were also found in some 
positive aspects of these relationships, such as asking for, 
and offering instrumental aid.  In addition, older friends 
report less self-monitoring and a lower tendency to imitate 
their friends. These data are interpreted to suggest that, 
with age, adults become more independent and 
autonomous in their friendships.

22.15
What's Your Friend Like? Age and Ethnic Generality
of the Big Five Personality Dimensions

Christine Storm and Thomas Storm
Mount Allison University

This study examined the spontaneous descriptions of peers 
by 120 New Zealand children aged 8, 10, and 12 years, 
from two ethnic groups: pakeha children from an Auckland 
suburb and Maori children from a rural North Island 
community.  Children were asked to tell an adult 
interviewer what each of five target peers were like.  Two 
targets were persons named as friends, three were chosen 
at random from the same class, and two were "people you 
don't like".  The adequacy of the Big Five personality 
dimensions and age, gender, and ethnic differences in their 
differentiation and salience are examined. 

22.16
The Influence of Age and Cultural Norms on
Inter- and Intra-cultural Adolescent 
Friendship Development

Arlene R. Lundquist
Creighton University

The overall purpose of the research was to: (1) identify 
factors (norms)  which influence the development of 
adolescent friendship, (2) compare the  relative influences 
of these factors (norms) on friendships maintained  during 
early  and late adolescence, and (3) investigate the 
proposed  relationship between the norms of adolescent 
friendship and potential  stumbling blocks to formation of 
cross-cultural friendships in  adolescence.  Norms of 
adolescent friendship are evaluated via 5  measures; self-
perception/self- esteem, qualities expected of friends,   
expressed and wanted inclusion behavior, friendship 
attitudes vs.  behavior consistency, and nonverbal intimacy 
behavior is observed in a 30  minute semi- structured 
interview with pairs of friends.

22.17
A Cross-Cultural Exploration of the Stability of 
Children's Friendships and the Predictors of their 
Continuation

Barry H. Schneider, Ada Fonzi, Franca Tani, and 
Giovanna Tomada, University of Toronto

The purpose of this study was to explore cross-cultural 
differences in children's perceptions of friendship quality 
and in the predictors of the subsequent continuation or 
termination of their relationships.  Participants were third- 
and fourth-grade children in Florence, Italy, and Toronto, 
Canada.  A total of 184 dyads of children who indicated 
that they were friends near the beginning of school year 
completed questionnaires regarding the quality of their 
relationships.  Compared to Canadians, a higher 
proportion of Italian friendships remained intact through 
the end of the school year.  Positive aspects of relationship 
quality at the first data collection point were associated 
with future friendship status, but earlier conflict within the 
dyad was unrelated to the continuation of friendship.  
Contrary to expectations, the levels of conflict reported by 
the children were lower in the Italian sample than in 
Canada.  Few gender differences were found in the 
predictors of friendship continuation.

22.18
Psychological Meaning of Loneliness in Adolescence

Maria Montero y Lopez Lena
National Autonomous University of Mexico
School of Psychology

The concept of loneliness has been traditionally associated 
with a subjective and unpleasant experience, as well as a 
response to a deficit in interpersonal relationships.  
Socialization practices in Mexico promote the value of 
social affiliation or gregarism (Diaz- Guerrero, 
1972/1986).  The main question of this exploratory study 
was whether a group of adolescents could identify the 
experience of loneliness and how they would define it.
        The psychological meaning of loneliness was 
measured by a Natural Semantic Network technique 
(Figueroa, 1980, 1981).  This criteria provides a) the 
denotative and connotative meaning of loneliness, b) the 
amount of words used to define loneliness, and c) the 
semantic distance between concepts.  
        Results showed that both males and females in 
the three age groups measured associated loneliness with 
negative concepts. Younger adolescents appear to 
experience loneliness as more unpleasant, while older age 
groups mentioned some positive concepts.  Men presented 
a more compact density network (c) than women, whereas 
women used more concepts to define loneliness than men 
(b).  
        Following these results, we conceptualize 
loneliness as a type of stressor that can have both a 
negative outcome, when experienced as a social or 
emotional deficit, and a positive outcome, when 
experienced as an opportunity for growing.

22.19
The Effects of Gender Related Personality 
Characteristics on Affection Giving Behaviors in 
Male/Female Relationships

Ann Marie West
Claremont Graduate School

The relationship between gender-related personality 
characteristics and the degree of affection giving in 
relationships was examined. It was hypothesized that 
positive and negative femininity would positively predict 
affection giving. It was also predicted that positive and 
negative masculinity would negatively predict affection 
giving. Further, it was expected that partners would give 
reciprocal amounts of affection to each other. A regression 
analysis revealed that positive femininity was a significant 
positive predictor of affection giving behaviors while 
negative femininity was a significant negative predictor of 
affection giving behaviors. Finally, male and female 
affection giving behaviors were significant positive 
predictors of each other. 

22.20
Power and the Quality of Same-Sex Friendships

Letitia Anne Peplau and Rose Veniegas
University of California, Los Angeles

Why are some friendships more rewarding and satisfying 
than others? The balance of power may offer one 
explanation.  Currently, little is known about dominance 
in friendship, in part because researchers often assume 
that friendships are inherently egalitarian.  The current 
study compared the quality of same-sex friendships judged 
to be equal versus unequal in power. As predicted, both 
men and women evaluated equal-power friendships more 
favorably on all measures of quality.  Equal-power 
friendships were described as more satisfying, close, 
intimate, and rewarding than unequal relationships. 

Conflict in Marriage and the Family

22.21
Conflict in Parental Support Networks:
Comparisons of Mothers and Fathers

Anupama A. Joshi and Gail F. Melson
Purdue University

This study examined conflict in parental support networks 
of mothers and fathers of preschool children.  It was 
hypothesized that parents would experience more conflict 
in closer and longer relationships.  Difference between 
mothers and fathers in the level of perceived conflict was 
not expected.  A mediation hypothesis was also tested 
predicting a mediating influence of family conflict on the 
relationship between conflict in the network and 
aggravations perceived in parenting.  Fifty-three couples 
participated in this study.  Data were collected through 
home interviews. Results confirmed some of the 
hypotheses.  Mothers and fathers did not differ in the 
amount of perceived conflict in their parental support 
networks.  The mediation hypothesis was confirmed for 
mothers but not for fathers.  Network correlates of conflict 
were different for mothers and fathers.  However, for both 
mothers and fathers, perceived conflict was higher with 
relatives than with friends and service providers.  It is 
suggested that future research should closely examine the 
role of conflict in specific relationships and the underlying 
processes for differences in mothers and fathers. 

22.22
Changes in Conflict Behaviors Over Time:
An Exploration with African American 
and White Couples

Susan E. Crohan
Wheelock College

Changes in conflict behaviors (constructive, destructive 
and avoidant) were explored in a longitudinal study of the 
first years of marriage with 133 African American and 149 
White couples. Results using self-report data showed that 
spouses reported more destructive and avoidant conflict 
behaviors and fewer constructive conflict behaviors in year 
3 than year 1.  There were also main effects for gender and 
race.  Husbands were more likely than wives to engage in 
constructive conflict and to leave the scene of conflict and 
less likely than wives to engage in destructive conflict.  
African Americans were more likely than Whites to 
engage in constructive conflict and avoidance.

22.23
Sibling Differences in Communication Patterns During 
Sibling Conflict:The Influence of Parental Favouritism

Grania Sheehan, Judith Feeney, Patricia Noller
 and Candi Peterson, University of Queensland

The theory of nonshared environment and the possible 
compounding nature of nonshared relationship experiences 
in the family will be examined. In particular the link 
between adolescents' experiences of parental favouritism 
and differences in siblings communication patterns during 
sibling conflict. One hundred and ninety eight adolescent 
twin sibling pairs were involved in the study. The study 
used two forms of measurement: 1) Self-report 
standardised scales measuring parental favouritism and 
sibling communication conflict patterns and 2) 
Observational measures of videotaped sibling interaction, 
both insider and outsider. The implications of the findings 
for the theory of nonshared environment, and for the 
transmission and continuity of communication patterns 
across familial relationships will be discussed. 

Parent-Child Relationships

22.24
Parents' Monitoring of Children's Daily Experiences:
Patterns Within and Between Families

Ann C. Crouter, Heather Helms-Erikson, 
and Kimberly Updegraff, 
Pennsylvania State University

Between and within family differences in parental 
monitoring were explored by (1) comparing mothers' and 
fathers' monitoring of older and younger siblings, and (2) 
by examining sex, temperament and parental work 
conditions as correlates of monitoring. Personal qualities, 
family relationships, work conditions, and monitoring (i.e., 
parents' knowledge about children's daily experiences) 
were assessed in home and telephone interviews with 
dual-earner parents and their two school-aged children (n 
100 families).  Monitoring varied as a function of the sex 
composition of the sibling dyad, children's temperaments, 
and sex of parent.  Fathers monitored more effectively 
when their wives worked more hours. 

22.25
Control Processes in Parent-Child Relationships in 
Middle Childhood

Kathryn A. Kerns, Patricia L. Tomich,
Jeffery E. Aspelmeier and Chandra M. Graybill
Kent State University

Although monitoring is often treated as a characteristic of 
parents, it is an attribute of parent-child dyads, with both 
parents and children contribution.  The present study 
examined monitoring in mother-child and father-child 
dyads, including an assessment of the child's contribution 
to the monitoring process. Third and sixth grade children 
and their parents participated in a phone monitoring 
interview, parents reported children's willingness to check 
in with parents, and teachers reported children's behavior 
at school.  Mothers were more successful at monitoring 
than were fathers.  Children who were more responsible 
about checking in with parents were described more 
positively by teachers.

22.26
Age-related Differences in Correlates of Parent-child 
Interdependence During Preadolescence and 
Adolescence

Daniel J. Repinski, State University of New York
W. Andrew Collins, University of Minnesota

Behavioral interdependence is a fundamental property of 
relationships, but correlations between interdependence 
and other properties of relationships may vary as dyads 
adapt to individual changes.  To test this prediction, 
children in grades 5, 7, 9, and 11 and their parents 
completed a child/adolescent version of the Relationships 
Closeness Inventory and measures of emotional tone and 
subjective closeness.  Interdependence, emotional tone, 
and subjective closeness were only moderately 
intercorrelated.  Both degree of intercorrelation and mean 
scores were inverted U-shaped functions of grade level.  
Across grades, intercorrelations among relationship 
properties were higher for fathers than for mothers. 
Implications for research on relationship change are 
discussed.

22.27
The Positive Effects of Children's Disabilities and 
Medical Challenges on Fathers' Generativity: A 
Grounded Theory Approach

Kathy Froerer, Alan J. Hawkins,
Jenifer Jarvis, and David C. Dollahite
 Brigham Young University

This qualitative, grounded theory study examines how 
fathers' relationships with their disabled children or 
children with other medical challenges can assist men in 
the development of generativity.  One of the themes from 
our data was that fathers of children with medical 
challenges are willing to go to great lengths to meet the 
needs of their children. Another theme was that fathers 
watching children suffer with medical challenges often 
develop greater compassion and patience.  Thus, a concept 
that emerged is that children with disabilities or medical 
challenges have tremendous needs for care that call for 
fathers to develop generativity. 


22.28  [withdrawn]

22.29
Leaving-Home Transition in Israel:
Changes in Parents-Adolescents Relationships
and Adaptation to Military Service

Ofra Mayseless
University of Haifa

Physical separation from one's parents into college was 
found to be associated with positive changes in the 
parents-adolescent relationship.  The reported study 
extended previous findings by studying the effects of 
physical separation from one's parents in the Israeli 
culture, when the timing of home-leaving is based on the 
youngsters' age (18), and is into a mandatory military 
service. A group of 143 young men participated in the 
study and filled out questionnaires regarding their 
relationships with their parents and their adjustment and 
coping at two points in time: three months before 
conscription and three months later.  Relationships with 
parents were reported to improve.  In addition, base line 
levels of relationships with parents, and changes in them 
significantly contributed to an increase in feelings of 
control and adjustment.

22.30
Mothering and Fathering: Factors Influencing
Perceived Role Changes Following Divorce

Mary S. Marczak, Lucinda M. Steenbergen,
Donna J. Peterson, and Donna Hendrickson 
Christensen, University of Arizona

After marital disruption, parents must redefine parental 
roles or assume new roles that may not fall within 
stereotyped sex-role standards.  Interviews with 33 
divorced mothers and fathers revealed three categories of 
perceived parental role changes:  role gain, role loss, and 
role constancy.  Through content analyses, this study will 
examine factors which may influence the meaning parents 
place on these changing parental roles following divorce. 
An initial analysis indicates that gender and custody status 
seem less influential than gender role attitudes regarding 
mothering and fathering.  Other factors to be examined 
will include visitation with children and coparenting. 

22.31
Post-Divorce Parental Communication Modes

Donna Hendrickson Christensen, Donna J. Peterson,
Mary S. Marczak, and Lucinda M. Steenbergen
University of Arizona

The purpose of this study is to examine the modes of 
communication that divorced parents use when interacting 
about their children. Past studies of divorced parities' 
communication have primarily focused on verbal 
communication, extending on models of successful marital 
communication.  This may not be a relevant standard for 
divorced partners.  It is possible that divorced parents, 
who may not be effective verbal communicators, have 
learned to employ alternative modes when interacting on 
parenting issues.  Interview data from 33 divorced parents 
will be used to answer this question. Initial analyses show 
that divorced parents describe using a variety of 
communication modes, including using fax machines, 
letters, and mutual friends as intermediators.  

22.32
Stepparents' Affinity-Seeking and
Affinity-Maintaining Strategies With Stepchildren

Lawrence Ganong, Marilyn Coleman,
Mark Fine, and Patricia Martin
University of Missouri-Columbia

The purpose of this study was to explore the strategies that 
stepparents use to develop and to maintain affinity with 
their stepchildren.  Specific research questions addressed 
include: (a) What do stepparents do to get their adolescent 
stepchildren to like them?; (b) What do parents do to help 
their spouses and children develop good relationships 
together?; and (c) What do adolescent stepchildren do to 
develop (and maintain) affinity with their stepparents?  
Data were collected via questionnaires and with 
stepparents, their spouses, and a stepchild between ages 
10-18. Stepfamilies were recruited via snowball sampling 
techniques and local media advertisements.

22.33
"When Daddy Comes Home":
A Narrative Study of Generative Fathering and 
Relationship Work

Sean E. Brotherson, Oregon State University
Alan J. Hawkins and David C. Dollahite, Brigham 
Young University

In-depth interviews were conducted with 25 fathers of 
disabled children concerning their caregiving experiences 
with their children.  This research focused on investigating 
a model of generative fathering through examining 
narrative accounts that reflect patterns in fathering 
behavior.  Coding and analysis of the fathers' narratives 
demonstrated broad and solid support for the concept of 
relationship work outlined in the generative fathering 
model.  Relationship work involves the responsibilities to 
connect with and communicate with children for their 
benefit and well- being.  This means facilitating 
interpersonal attachments and encouraging understanding 
between fathers and children.