Description

The Scale of Beliefs on the Role of the Father after a Divorce (SOBRFD) is a psychometric tool designed to assess perceptions and beliefs about the role of fathers following a divorce. This scale measures various dimensions, including the emotional, financial, and co-parenting roles of fathers post-divorce, as well as societal and cultural beliefs about the father’s involvement in children’s lives after separation.

Key Dimensions Measured:

Emotional Support: The father’s role in providing emotional support and maintaining a strong relationship with the children post-divorce.

Financial Support: The father’s responsibilities and contributions to financial aspects such as child support.

Co-parenting and Decision-Making: How the father is perceived in shared decision-making and co-parenting responsibilities.

Cultural and Societal Expectations: Beliefs about the father’s role based on societal norms and cultural influences.

Legal and Custodial Roles: Perceptions regarding the father’s rights and custody issues after divorce.

Analysis and Use of Data

1. Data Collection:

Respondents (mothers, fathers, children, or other parties involved) are surveyed using a series of Likert-scale items.

Responses are collected on a scale (e.g., 1-5), where higher scores indicate stronger beliefs in the importance and involvement of fathers after divorce.

2. Data Analysis:

Descriptive Statistics: Provides an overview of the average responses, variability, and distribution of beliefs.

Factor Analysis: Can be used to validate the structure of the scale, ensuring that the items group into coherent subscales (e.g., emotional support, financial responsibility).

Reliability Analysis: Evaluates the internal consistency of the scale, typically using Cronbach’s alpha to measure if the scale reliably assesses beliefs across various items.

Regression Analysis: To investigate the impact of different demographic factors (e.g., age, gender, socioeconomic status) on beliefs regarding the father’s role.

Comparative Analysis: Comparing beliefs across different groups, such as mothers vs. fathers or those with different cultural backgrounds, can reveal significant differences in perceptions.

3. Practical Applications:

Policy Making: Insights from SOBRFD can inform policies related to family law, custody arrangements, and child welfare programs.

Therapeutic Use: Counselors and therapists working with divorced families can use the scale to assess the perceptions of family members regarding the father’s role, helping to tailor therapy sessions.

Legal Proceedings: Family courts may find the scale useful in understanding the beliefs of parents regarding custody and shared parenting responsibilities.

Educational Programs: Parenting programs can utilize the SOBRFD data to address misconceptions and promote the importance of father involvement post-divorce.

Objective

The calibration of the SOBRFD refers to the process of validating the scale’s reliability and ensuring that it accurately captures the beliefs about the role of fathers post-divorce. Calibration typically involves:

Item Review: Checking each item for clarity, cultural relevance, and appropriateness.

Pilot Testing: Administering the scale to a small sample and analyzing the responses to identify any issues in the scale’s design.

Statistical Validation: Using techniques such as Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) to ensure the scale has strong construct validity (i.e., the items truly measure the beliefs they are intended to assess).

Cross-Cultural Validation: Ensuring the scale applies across different cultural groups, adjusting items as necessary to account for cultural differences in beliefs about the father’s role post-divorce.

References

Father Involvement After Divorce: Research often highlights the positive effects of continued father involvement in children’s lives post-divorce, emphasizing emotional, financial, and developmental benefits.

Studies like Amato & Gilbreth (1999) point out that children benefit when fathers are actively involved, even after separation.

Parental Alienation: There is a growing body of literature around how divorce can sometimes lead to alienation, where one parent may be excluded from a child’s life. The SOBRFD can help assess beliefs that may contribute to or mitigate such dynamics.

Cultural Views on Fatherhood: The role of fathers post-divorce can vary greatly across cultures, and literature on cross-cultural perspectives (e.g., Lamb, 2010) provides insights into how fatherhood is perceived differently depending on societal norms.

Legal Frameworks and Custody: Research often focuses on how legal systems in different countries handle paternal rights and custody issues post-divorce, which directly impacts fathers’ roles.

Key References:

Amato, P. R., & Gilbreth, J. G. (1999). Nonresident fathers and children’s well-being: A meta-analysis. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 61(3), 557-573.

Lamb, M. E. (2010). The Role of the Father in Child Development. Wiley.

Fabricius, W. V., & Hall, J. A. (2000). Young adults’ perspectives on divorce: Living arrangements, parenting, and psychological adjustment. Journal of Divorce & Remarriage, 33(4), 1-29.