Abstract

This study examined maternal gatekeeping, its background and psychological antecedents, and its consequences for paternal and maternal involvement in childcare. 209 couples with 6 to 36-month-old children completed extensive questionnaires. Analyses revealed that different dimensions of gatekeeping were differentially associated with the psychological antecedents and the consequences of maternal gatekeeping. The standards and responsibilities dimension of gatekeeping was related to the mother’s self-esteem, and predicted the father’s involvement in childcare. The maternal identity confirmation dimension of gatekeeping was related to the salience of the mother’s maternal identity, and predicted her own involvement in childcare. The importance of examining social-psychological characteristics that account for gatekeeping tendencies is discussed and the need to further explore the implications of these tendencies for various forms of involvement in childcare is stressed.