The Transition to Fatherhood: The Level of First-Time Fathers’ Involvement and Strength of Bonding with Their Infants

Abstract

The aim of this study was to describe the level of involvement and psychological bonding of a sample of Australian first-time fathers with their 6-month-old infants. Involvement was defined in terms of fathers’ engagement, accessibility, and responsibility. Sixty-one men completed a time-diary interview protocol, a responsibility scale, and a postnatal bonding scale. Predictably, fathers were more involved on non-workdays, than workdays but the extent of the difference depended on the type of involvement. Father’s share of the responsibility for their infant was a little less than mother’s share. Similar and contrasting findings with recent local and international large-scale studies are discussed. Paternal involvement and bonding were shown to be different dimensions of fathering, adding to the idea of a multidimensional conceptualisation of fathering. Further research avenues are suggested.