attachment figures a01

Question 1

parent infant attachment

Answer 1

Schaffer and Emerson 1964
found that majority of babies did become attached to their mother first around 7 months and within a few weeks or months a secondary attachment was formed with other family members including the father
75% of the infants studied studied an attachment was formed with the father by the age of 18 months
this was determined by the fact the infants protested when their father walked away , a sign of attachment

Question 2

the role of the father

Answer 2

grossman 2002
longitudinal study
looking at both parent behaviour and its relationship to the quality of children attachments into their teens
quality of infant attachment with mothers but not fathers was related to childrens attatchements in adolescence suggesting that the father attatchemnet was less important
however the quality of the fathers play with infants was related to the quality of adolescence attachments
this suggests that fathers have a role in attachment , one that is to do with play and similuation and less to do with nurturing

Question 3

father as primary careers

Answer 3

some evidence that when father take on the role of the mother they adopt behaviour typical of mothers
field 1978
filmed 4 month old babies in face to face interaction with primary caregiver mothers , secondary caregiver fathers and primary caregiver fathers.
primary caregiver fathers like mothers spent more time smiling and imitating and holding infants than the secondary care giver fathers
this behaviour appears to be more important in building an attachment with the infant
to conclude it seems fathers can be the more nurturing attachment figure
responsiveness >gender