LAUSR

This study tested Belsky's (1984) process model of parenting to examine predictors of self-reported parenting satisfaction and self-efficacy among a sample of low-income, nonresidential fathers attending fatherhood programs (n = 222 fathers) and a sample of men who were not in fatherhood programs but reside in high poverty neighborhoods (n = 336 fathers). The process model included father involvement with children as a predictor of satisfaction and self-efficacy, coparenting alliance instead of marital quality, child age instead of temperament, identity centrality and psycho-social challenges in place of personality, and unemployment as a measure of work. The fit of this model was acceptable when child age was omitted, indicating that the process model may be appropriate when applied to low-income, nonresidential fathers. Implications for fatherhood programs are discussed.