Evidence for nonlinear effects emerged across all 6 dimensions of fathering. For father acceptance, the fathering squared term is often significant for teacher-reported outcomes (coefficients range from −.11 to −.21), suggesting that very high levels of father acceptance have an added protective effect beyond the main effect; this nonlinear effect is found among all groups except intact EA families. At very high levels, the association between father rejection and adolescent anxiety/depression attenuates for adolescents in intact EA families; a similar effect is found with regard to parent-reported positive behavior in intact MA families. With regard to teacher reported outcomes, the fathering squared terms suggest that for adolescents in intact EA families, the harmful effect of father rejection on externalizing and sociometrics augments at very high levels. At very high levels, the negative association between father discipline and maladjustment attenuates, and for teacher-reported outcomes actually reverses sign and becomes a positive association. Although very high levels of father monitoring are associated with less anxiety and depression among intact EA families, among EA stepfamilies very high levels of father monitoring are associated
