Abstract
<title>Abstract</title> <p> Background Father presence is an important family relational resource for child development. Understanding the role of fathers is therefore essential for elucidating children’s psychological development. Methods This study employed a three-wave longitudinal design and followed primary school students in Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China, across three assessments over one year. A cross-lagged panel model (CLPM) and a random-intercept cross-lagged panel model (RI-CLPM) were estimated sequentially to distinguish overall longitudinal associations at the observed level, stable between-person differences, and dynamic within-person processes. Results The final CLPM (CLPM-M4) showed a good fit to the data, χ²(18) = 43.458, <italic>p</italic> < .001, CFI = 0.969, TLI = 0.942, RMSEA = 0.057, and SRMR = 0.051. Father presence positively predicted subsequent parental autonomy support (βs = 0.079–0.084, <italic>p</italic> = 0.016) and basic psychological need satisfaction (βs = 0.091–0.095, <italic>p</italic> = 0.013). Parental autonomy support and basic psychological need satisfaction prospectively predicted each other (βs = 0.144–0.195, <italic>p</italic> < .001), and parental autonomy support also positively predicted subsequent father presence (βs = 0.100–0.116, <italic>p</italic> = .003). The RI-CLPM also demonstrated a good fit, χ²(12) = 13.476, <italic>p</italic> = 0.335, CFI = 0.998, TLI = 0.995, RMSEA = 0.017, and SRMR = 0.040. At the between-person level, all three variables were significantly and positively correlated ( <italic>r</italic> s = 0.418–.635, <italic>p</italic> ≤ .003). At the within-person level, parental autonomy support positively predicted subsequent basic psychological need satisfaction (βs = 0.135–.143, <italic>p</italic> = 0.016), while basic psychological need satisfaction positively predicted subsequent parental autonomy support (βs = 0.157–0.161, <italic>p</italic> = 0.004). In contrast, none of the within-person prospective paths involving father presence were statistically significant. Conclusions The CLPM revealed broad longitudinal associations among father presence, parental autonomy support, and basic psychological need satisfaction at the observed level and indicated that father presence remained stable across the one-year study period. The RI-CLPM further suggested that father presence primarily represents a stable family relational context, whereas parental autonomy support and basic psychological need satisfaction constitute a proximal reciprocal dynamic system underlying psychological adjustment among primary school students. </p>