The study also found that children whose fathers came from a high socialeconomic status were more likely to make a bigger difference to achild's development.
Dr Daniel Nettle, who led the research, said, 'It is not surprising thatfathers who may have more skills themselves have a greater impact interms of passing them on, but these results are still veryinteresting.'
The study, published in next month's Journal of Evolution and HumanBehaviour, examined why some fathers are more involved than others andthe effect this has on children later on in life.
The researchers analysed data from the National Child Development study(NCDS), a long-term study that followed 18,000 British born children in1958 through to adulthood.
They focused on surveys carried out by the NCDS in the 1960s that askedhow involved fathers were in their children's upbringing, and how oftenthey took part in activities with their children and read to them.
They concluded that fathers need to be actively involved with theirchildren in order to make a difference to a child's development andimprove an infant's IQ.
Adrienne Burgess, research manager at the Fatherhood Institute said, 'Weare not surprised by these findings, which reinforce a significant bodyof research, showing the impact of high father-involvement on childhoodIQ.
'This means that fathers' involvement is not some kind of optional extra- dads play a significant role in their children's development, and whenthey do not do this within their families they have as little effect asfathers who do not live with their children.'