attachment -> attachment figures: the role of the father

Question 1

What was the traditional role of fathers?

Answer 1

• Traditionally, father only played a minor role in parenting.
• In part, married couples had ‘expected roles’

Question 2

What did early research on attachment figures find?

Answer 2

• Focus on mother-infant interaction
• Bowlby – that ONE primary caregiver, usually the mother
• Early research shows that fathers are less of a caregiver, more of a playmate
• Mothers perceived as nurturing recognise and respond too needs (sensitive responsiveness)

Question 3

How has the traditional role of the father changed now?

Answer 3

• There is now an expectation in Western cultures that the father should play a greater role in raising children than was previously the case.
• the number of mothers working full-time has increased in recent decades, and this has also led to fathers having a more active role.

Question 4

Who did Schaffer find was the primary attachment figure in infants?

Answer 4

Most frequently their mother alone (65%), 30% both parents and only 3% of the father alone

Question 5

What happened to the percentage of infants forming an attachment with their father at 18 months?

Answer 5

At 18 months, 75% of infants had formed an attachment with their father, suggesting fathers play an important role in their infant’s lives

Question 6

Who did research into the role of the father as a ‘playmate’ ?

Answer 6

Grossman et.al (2002)

Question 7

What was the aim of Grossman’s study?

Answer 7

How important are fathers in children’s development & do they have a distinct role

Question 8

What was the method of Grossman’s study?

Answer 8

• Longitudinal study (44 families)
• compared the role of fathers’ & mothers’ contribution to their children’s attachment experiences at 6,10 and 16 years

Question 9

What were the findings of Grossman’s study?

Answer 9

• The quality of infant attachment with mothers but not fathers related to attachment in adolescence.
• However, the quality of the father’s play was related to attachment in adolescence.

Question 10

What are the conclusions of Grossman’s findings?

Answer 10

• Suggests attachment to fathers is less important than attachment to mothers
• Father’s role is more to do with play and less to do with nurturing

Question 11

Who did research into the role of the father as a primary caregiver?

Answer 11

Field (1978)

Question 12

What did Field investigate?

Answer 12

Filmed 4-month-old babies face to face interaction with primary caregiver mothers, primary caregiver fathers and secondary caregiver fathers

Question 13

What were the findings of Field’s study?

Answer 13

• Compared to secondary caregiver fathers, primary caregiver fathers spent more time smiling, interacting and holding infants
• Primary caregiver fathers showed more sensitively responsive behaviour similar to mothers
• Fathers in general, focused more on game playing and less on holding

Question 14

What do Field’s findings suggest?

Answer 14

• Fathers are able, if required, to take on the more caring, nurturing role usually associated with the mother.
• Key to attachment level is responsiveness NOT the gender
• Perhaps fathers only express this when given the role of primary caregiver

Question 15

Evaluation: Conflicting evidence -> limitation

Answer 15

• Inconsistent findings on the role of fathers in attachment
• Longitudinal studies such as that of Grossman et. al have suggested that fathers as secondary attachment figures have an important and distinct role in their children’s development.
• On the other hand, there is research to support that fathers can be primary attachment figures e.g. Field et.al (1978)
• However, MacCallum and Golombok (2004) found children growing up in single or same-sex households do not develop any differently from those in two-parent heterosexual families
• This is a problem as it means the question as to whether fathers have a distinctive role remains unanswered

Question 16

Counterpoint: Conflicting evidence

Answer 16

• These lines of research may not be in conflict
• may be that fathers typically take on distinctive roles in two-parent heterosexual families, but that parents in single-mother and lesbian- parent families simply adapt to accommodate the role played by fathers
• question of a distinctive role for fathers is clear
• when present, fathers tend to adopt a distinctive role, but families can adapt to having no father

Question 17

Evaluation: Confusion over the research question -> limitation

Answer 17

• Lack of clarity over questions being asked
• Some psychologists are interested in understanding the role of fathers as secondary attachment figures whereas others are more concerned with fathers as primary caregivers
• A problem as it means psychologists cannot easily answer the question of: what is the role of the father?
• There is research evidence that supports the role of the father as a ‘playmate’ rather than primary caregiver
• Geiger (1996) found that a father’s play interactions were more exciting
• Findings on the role of the father have been inconsistent – some studies showing fathers have a nurturing role, while others suggest they have a different role

Question 18

Evaluation: Real-life application -> strength

Answer 18

• Can be used to offer advice to parents who might agonise over decisions like who should take the primary caregiver role
• mothers may be pressured to stay at home because of stereotypical views of mothers and father’s roles
• fathers may be pressured to focus on work rather than parenting, may not be economically the best solution
• Heterosexual parents can be informed that fathers are quite capable of becoming primary attachment figures
• Lesbian-parent and single mother families can be informed that not having a father around does not affect the child’s development
• This means that parental anxiety about the role of fathers can be reduced