Classification of Paternal Images in Adolescence and Characteristics of those Images

Abstract

　　The father-child relationship has not been examined in adolescence as often as it has in childhood. The purposes of this study were to classify adolescents' paternal images and to examine the characteristics of each type of image by comparing “attitudes towards one’s father” and the “views of one’s father in comparison to the ideal.” Participants were 291 university students (97 males and 194 females with a mean age of 19.33 years). Cluster analysis was performed by sex using the following three factors that comprise the Paternal Image Scale (Konno, 2012): provision of a sense of security, authority, and selfishness. Results revealed four types of images. Three types of images were common to both sexes: a “genial” father providing a strong sense of security and exercising little authority, an “august” father providing a strong sense of security and exercising considerable authority, and an “indistinct” father with no notable characteristics. In contrast, characteristics of a father who was highly selfish and who provided little sense of security differed by sex. Male participants regarded such fathers as “wanton” individuals who exercised an average amount of authority while female participants regarded them as “dictatorial” individuals who exercised considerable authority. This result suggests that there are different paternal images with many variations. Attitudes towards and views of fathers were compared based on the classification mentioned earlier. Results revealed that fathers who were highly selfish and who provided little sense of security (i.e. wanton fathers according to male participants and dictatorial fathers according to female participants) were less likely to be perceived as reliable than other types of fathers. Moreover, those fathers were viewed as far from ideal. However, fathers that are perceived as reliable and that are close to the ideal may not be limited to one specific type.