A meta-analysis was conducted of 137 studies investigating the effects of father absence due to employment, military service, death, divorce, separation, or desertion on children's cognitive performance as assessed by scores on standardized intelligence, scholastic aptitude, and academic achievement tests and school grades. Aggregation of the study findings yielded an overall average effect size of -.26 reflecting a .26 standard deviation superiority of the father-present subjects over the father-absent subjects. Study outcomes were found to differ significantly as a function of age at onset of absence, age of study subjects, and study methodological quality. Only 14% of the total variance in the reported father-absence effects was accounted for by the composite set of study characteristics suggesting that existing father-absence research provides little relevant data regarding potentially important variables. In light of these findings, suggestions are made for future father-absence research. (Author)