Abstract
It is proposed that a high degree of psychological father presence, when incongruent with reality and if persistent over time, is negatively related to family functionality. Data collected in 1975 from a representative sample of 47 families of servicemen missing-in-action (MIA) are presented. Correlational analysis reveals significant covariance between family functionality and psychological father presence, operating in a negative direction, as proposed, regarding expressive dimensions of psychological father presence, but in a positive direction when the family keeps the MIA father present for the instrumental reason of financial providing. Psychological father presence is established as a viable concept in regard to father absence.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 141-151 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | Journal of Marriage and Family |
| Volume | 39 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 1977 |
| Externally published | Yes |