Father involvement and child social adjustment: The chain mediating effects of the father–child relationship and mother marital satisfaction

Father involvement is strongly associated with children's developmental outcomes. We examined the mediating role of the father-child relationship and mother marital satisfaction on the relationship between father involvement and child social adjustment. The participants came from eight kindergartens in six provinces in China and included 573 families. We collected data cross-sectionally using validated measures to assess the direct and indirect effects of father involvement, the father-child relationship, and mother marital satisfaction on child social adjustment using path models, with fathers reporting father involvement and the father-child relationship, and mothers reporting mother marital satisfaction and child social adjustment. The results of the study showed a significant positive correlation between father involvement and child social adjustment. Additionally, father-child conflict and mother marital satisfaction served as independent mediators, the father-child relationship (including father-child closeness and father-child conflict) and mother marital satisfaction created a chain mediating effect between father involvement and child social adjustment. This finding emphasizes the effect of father involvement on children's social adjustment, revealing the necessity of nurturing healthy parent-child and marital relationships for the development of children's social adjustment.