As fathering research has progressed, it has become apparent that the associations with desirable child outcomes found in most research is actually with positive forms of paternal involvement, not simply involvement per se (Cabrera, Tamis-LeMonda, Bradley, Hofferth, & Lamb, 2000; Flouri & Buchanan, 2003; Holmes & Huston, 2010; Pleck, 1997). In addition, while most fathering research has historically been taken from the perspective of fathers and mothers, researchers now recognize the potential importance of examining father involvement from the perspective of children themselves (Beckert, Strom, & Strom, 2006; Finley & Schwartz, 2004). In an effort to expand the conceptual understanding of father involvement and further refine the quantitative measurements of father involvement, Lamb, Pleck, Charnov, and Levine (1985) proposed a three-part typology of father involvement that included engagement, accessibility, and responsibility. Engagement includes a father's direct interaction with his child. Accessibility refers to a father's physical or psychological availability to his child. Responsibility involves providing for the care of the child, as distinct from the performance of care. Each of these types of involvement directly relate to a child's well-being.
