4. The Role Of The Father AO3

Question 1

Name a strength of the fathers role in attachment

Answer 1

Has important economic implications

Question 2

Explain the important economic implications that may occur through the fathers role in attachment

Answer 2

Mothers feel pressured to stay home - research says they’re vital for healthy emotional development - in some families this may not be economically the best solution - this conclusion may comfort mothers if they decide they must go back to work

Question 3

Name two limitations of research into the fathers role

Answer 3

• fails to provide clear answers about fathers as primary attachment figures
• social biases prevent objective observation

Question 4

Explain how research fails to provide clear answers about fathers as primary attachment figures

Answer 4

Answer could be related to traditional gender roles - women expected to be more nurturing - making fathers feel they don’t have to be -

Question 5

What is a second element that could lead to mothers mostly being primary attachment figures

Answer 5

It could be female hormones - e.g. Oestrogen - create higher levels of nurturing - therefore women are biologically predisposed to be primary attachment figures

Question 6

Explain how social biases prevent objective observation

Answer 6

Preconceptions about how fathers behave - created by common discussions about mother’s/father’s parenting behaviour

Question 7

What may preconceptions about parents roles lead to

Answer 7

Stereotypes e.g. Fathers are more playful - may cause unintentional observer bias - observes ‘see’ what they expect not actual reality

Question 8

What can be concluded from the idea of social biases in parenting

Answer 8

Conclusions on role of the father in attachment are hard to disentangle for social biases about their role