3. The Role Of The Father AO1 Flashcards
Who are primary attachments formed with?
Mothers but sometimes fathers too
What did Schaffer and Emerson find?
The majority of babies became attached to their mothers first
When do babies usually become attached to their mothers?
Happens at around seven months old
What amount of cases was the father found to be the primary attachment figure in Schaffer and Emerson’s research?
3%
What amount of cases was the father found to be the joint primary attachment figure with the mother?
27%
What happens a few weeks after babies form primary attachments?
They form secondary attachments to other family members including fathers
When do babies form secondary attachments to other family members
A few weeks or months after primary attachments
What percentage of children studied showed attachment with the fathers after 18 months?
75%
What did Grossman study?
He conducted a longitudinal study looking at the parents behaviour and its relationship to the quality of children’s attachment into that teens
What did Grossman find?
Quality of attachment with the father is less important in the attachment type of teens than the quality of attachment with their mother
What did Grossman conclude about fathers?
They may be less important in long-term emotional development
What is most important for fathers to provide?
Quality of play
What is the fathers role in attachment?
His role is more to do with playing and stimulation and less to do with nurturing
What happens to fathers behaviour when they become primary caregivers?
They adopt behaviours more typical of a mother
What behaviours appear to be important in building an attachment with an infant?
Smiling, imitating and holding infants
