Effects of father absence on personality development in adolescent daughters.

The effects of father absence due to divorce or death on adolescent girls were investigated. Few deviations in traditional measures of sex-role typing were obtained; however, disruptions in interactions with males occurred. In the daughters of divorcees this took the form of proximity seeking and attention seeking from males, early heterosexual behavior, and various forms of nonverbal communication associated with openness and responsiveness. In contrast, in the daughters of widows it was manifested in inhibition, rigidity, avoidance, and restraint around males. Early separation from fathers had more severe effects than late separation. Differences among divorcees, widows, and mothers of intact families on various personality measures, on child-rearing attitudes, and on relations with their daughters were also investigated.