Drawing upon little-used data on the activities and attainments
of fathers from the early waves of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics
(PSID), we assess how paternal characteristics affect the adult
success of children raised in two-parent families. Consistent with
other research is our finding that various measures of the ability
and attainments of fathers (completed schooling, occupation, hourly
earnings, cognitive skills) add substantially to the predictive
power of models based on maternal characteristics. New in our work
is evidence of powerful and robust benefits for both sons and daughters
of paternal involvement in school-related PTA activities. Father's
church attendance is also predictive of children's attainments,
but more so for daughters than sons. An index of father's risk aversion
(e.g., having car insurance, fastening seat belts) is a powerful
predictor of the completed schooling and labor-market success of
sons but not daughters. Finally, an interviewer assessment of the
cleanliness of the parental dwelling was a consistently powerful
predictor of the attainments of both sons and daughters. Taken together,
our results suggest that the degree and nature of father involvement
in family activities are important determinants of children's attainments.
Greg J. Duncan, School of Education and Social
Policy, Northwestern University Martha Hill, Institute for Social Research, University of
Michigan Jean Yeung, Institute for Social Research, University of
Michigan
To Order:
Hard copies of IPR working papers cost $5.00 each (international orders are $10 each). We only accept checks drawn on U.S. bank and payable in U.S. funds. Checks or
money orders should be made payable to Northwestern University and sent to
the following address:
Publications Department - WP Orders
Institute for Policy Research
2040 Sheridan Rd., Evanston, IL 60208-4100.
For information, call 847-491-8712 or email ipr@northwestern.edu.
Please note that we do not accept credit cards.
