The link between father presence and critical thinking disposition of college students: The mediating role of self-esteem and the moderating role of gender

OBJECTIVE: Previous studies have overlooked the role of the father in shaping children's critical thinking disposition and the underlying mechanisms involved. Grounded in Father Presence Theory，Social Learning Theory, and Gender Socialization and Identity Theory, this study investigated the relationship and underlying mechanisms linking father presence to critical thinking disposition among college students, focusing on the mediating role of self-esteem and moderating role of gender. METHODS: A total of 942 college students from three Chinese universities were surveyed using Chinese version of the Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory (CTDI-CV), the brief version of Chinese revision of Father Presence Questionnaire (FPQ-R-B), and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES). RESULTS: The results indicated that: (1) Father presence, self-esteem, and critical thinking disposition were significantly positively correlated with each other, and father presence is significantly associated with both self-esteem and critical thinking disposition; (2) Self-esteem fully mediated the relationship between father presence and critical thinking disposition; (3) Gender moderated the latter path of the mediation model, with the increase in critical thinking disposition being more pronounced among male students as their self-esteem levels rose compared to female students. CONCLUSIONS: This study identifies an underlying correlational pathway connecting father presence to higher critical thinking disposition via elevated self-esteem, where gender moderates the indirect effect of self-esteem on critical thinking disposition. It provides correlational evidence regarding the fundamental link between family emotional systems and college students' higher-order cognitive processes. These findings have practical implications for fostering critical thinking in higher education.