Measuring Family Relationships in the
Fragile Families Study
Marcy Carlson
Columbia University
July 16, 2004
Fragile Families Summer Data Workshop
Baseline M-F Relationship Status
• History:
– How long knew each other before got pregnant
– Why did romantic rel. end (if broken up)
• Current relationship status
– Married (yes/no)
– Cohabiting (yes/no)
– Type (steady romantic; on & off; just friends; hardly talk;
never talk)
• Chances of marriage to baby’s father (none, a little, 5050, pretty good, almost certain)
• Chances of ever marrying someone (same as above)
Baseline M-F Relationship Quality
• Supportiveness (often, sometimes, never)
–
–
–
–
Fair & willing to compromise
Shows affection/love
Insults/criticizes
Encourages/helps
• Conflict (often, sometimes, never)
– Money, spending time, sex, the pregnancy,
drinking/drugs, being faithful
• Companionship (did in last month)
– Visited w/ friends, went out, ate out, helped solve
problem
1 Year M-F Relationship Status
• History:
– Relationship type when child born (married, rom.,
sep/div., just friends, not in any)
– Cohabiting when child born (all/most, some, rarely,
never)
– Dates: marriage, cohab, sep/divorce, end of rel.
– Why did relationship end
• Current relationship status
– Type (married, rom., sep/div., just friends, not in any)
– Cohabiting (all/most, some, rarely, never)
– Not all/most: # of nights, how often see/talk (18
cities)
1 Year M-F Relationship Quality
• Supportiveness (often, sometimes, never)
–
–
–
–
–
–
Fair & willing to compromise
Expresses affection/love
Insults/criticizes
Encourages/helps
Listens when need someone to talk to
Really understands your hurts & joys
• Argue (always, often, sometimes, rarely, never)
• Overall quality (poor, fair, good, very good, excellent)
• Controlling behavior
– Tries to keep from seeing friends/family
– Tries to prevent from going to work/school
– Withholds money
1 Year M-F Relationship Quality
• Questions asked about mother and biological
father (regardless of residential status)
• Questions asked about residential new partners
Baseline Father Involvement
• Mom report:
–
–
–
–
–
–
Gave money
Helped in another way
Visited in hospital
Name on birth certificate
Baby will have surname
Dad says wants to be involved
• Dad report:
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Gave money
Helped in another way
Present at birth
Has held baby
Name on birth certificate
Baby will have surname
Wants to be involved
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
1 Year Father-Child Activities
(F about self; M about F)
Play games
Sing songs/nursery rhymes
Read stories
Tell stories
Play inside with toys
Take child to visit relatives
Hug or show physical affection
Put child to bed
Change diaper – only M about F
Feed or give bottle – only M about F
Father-Child Contact about One Year after Baby’s Birth
(n=4,337)
Nonmarital birth
Marital birth
6.3 0.5
12.2
94.4
5.8
50.3
7.6
11.5
5.9
Live together
Every day, non-res
10-29 days past mo.
3-9 days past mo.
1-2 days past mo.
Saw, not past mo.
Never saw
Died
Father-Child Contact about One Year after
Nonmarital Birth (n=3,260)
Non-resident at birth
Resident at birth
0.4
6.2
11.3
1.0 0.5
3.1
3.4
28.0
6.6
17.9
5.0
6.6
8.4
11.3
16.1
Live together
Every day, non-res
10-29 days past mo.
3-9 days past mo.
1-2 days past mo.
Saw, not past mo.
Never saw
Died
74.2
Father-Child Activities Past Month
4.0
3.5
Play games
3.0
Play inside
2.5
Hug
Read stories
Tell stories
Feed/bottle
Diaper
2.0
1.5
1.0
Married
Cohabiting
Non-resident
1=never
2= < few times/wk
3=few times/wk
4=every day/nearly
Frequency of Spanking (Last Month)
Fathers
Mothers
0%
Never
20%
Once or twice
40%
A few times/month
60%
80%
A few times/week
100%
Every day
The end…!