A clarification of the concept of psychological father presence in families experiencing ambiguity of boundary

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.