Abstract
Authors employed factor analysis to clarify the different dimensions of fathers' roles as perceived by young children in relation to father-child interactions. Based on operationalism, authors endeavored to establish relationship between the different dimensions of fathers' roles and the father-child interactions as perceived by children. Children's self-esteem was also analyzed in terms of father-child interactions. Five hundred and seventy-five university and college students contributed to research, and the data provided by them were studied by factor analysis. Author obtained six different dimensions of fathers' roles, of which compassionate, leader-breadwinner and acceptance-teaching roles were associated with closer father-child interactions, have an influence on children's self-esteem. Authors speculate that the fathers' roles as well as father figure do exist in children's minds in spite of the frequent reference by mass media to the Japanese families functioning without father.
