Professionals' negative expectations of boys from father‐headed single‐parent families: Implications for the training of child‐care professionals

Abstract

The study explored the possibility that individuals' assessment of children's personality and behavioural functioning may reflect stereotypic perceptions involving more negative expectations of boys from father‐headed as opposed to mother‐headed single‐parent families. These hypotheses were based upon the assumptions of the pre‐emincnce of the maternal role in the parent‐child relation. The objective was to determine whether stereotypic perceptions, if any, prevail equally or differentially among laypersons and trained professionals such as teachers and social workers. Consistent with the hypotheses, the findings showed that both laypersons and professionals had more negative expectations of boys from father‐ as opposed to mother‐custody homes. Comparison of laypersons with the professional group of teachers and social workers combined showed no significant differences between the perceptions of these two groups of respondents. The teachers, however, had significantly fewer stereotypic negative perceptions of boys from father‐headed families than laypersons and social workers. The implications of the findings are discussed for the welfare of the children and their single parents, and the training of professionals.