ABSTRACT

To understand factors that may influence father involvement, researchers have increasingly considered maternal gatekeeping, or the extent to which mothers might attempt to regulate (i.e. encourage, discourage) fathers’ involvement in childrearing. Although several theoretical models of maternal gatekeeping have been advanced in recent years, maternal gatekeeping measurement has lagged significantly behind developments in gatekeeping theory. Rasch analysis offers a useful framework for conducting item-level analyses to evaluate measurement validity and identify areas of improvement for measurement scales. In the present study, Rasch analysis techniques were implemented to (1) illustrate how modern psychometric methods can be applied to validate measures in family psychology and (2) examine the validity of the Parental Regulation Inventory, a commonly used maternal gatekeeping measure (PRI; Van Egeren [2000]. The Parental Regulation Inventory. Unpublished manuscript. Michigan State University). Results indicated that the PRI exhibited adequate construct validity; however, measurement could be improved by including additional items on the PRI subscales. In particular, Rasch analyses indicated floor effects on fathers’ reports of maternal gate closing, floor and ceiling effects on fathers’ reports of maternal gate opening, and floor and ceiling effects on fathers’ reports of maternal communication at 3- and 9- months postpartum. Recommendations for improving maternal gatekeeping measurement and implications for maternal gatekeeping theory are discussed.

摘要

为了解可能影响父亲参与的因素，研究人员越来越多地考虑母亲把关，或母亲可能试图调节（即鼓励、劝阻）父亲参与育儿的程度。尽管近年来已经提出了几种母性守门理论模型，但母性守门测量明显落后于守门理论的发展。Rasch 分析提供了一个有用的框架，用于进行项目级分析以评估测量有效性并确定测量量表的改进领域。在本研究中，实施 Rasch 分析技术是为了 (1) 说明现代心理测量方法如何应用于验证家庭心理学的措施，以及 (2) 检查父母监管清单的有效性，父母调节清单。未发表的手稿。密歇根州立大学）。结果表明 PRI 表现出足够的结构效度；但是，可以通过在 PRI 子量表中包括额外的项目来改进测量。特别是，Rasch 分析表明，在产后 3 个月和 9 个月时，父亲对母亲关门关闭报告的地板效应、父亲母亲门打开报告的地板和天花板效应，以及父亲对母亲沟通报告的地板和天花板效应. 讨论了改进母性守门测量的建议和对母性守门理论的影响。