Attachment - role of the father Flashcards
What does early research of role of the father (Schaffer and Emerson) state
The majority of babies become attached to their mothers first (around 7 months) and within a few weeks or months formed secondary attachments to other family members, including the father.
In 75% infants studied, an attachment with the father was made by 18 months old.
What did early research of role of the father (Lamb) state
Studies have shown little relationship between father accessibility (amount of time) and infant-father attachment.
What did Grossman find in his research
Longitudinal Study (44 families).
Looked both parents’ behaviour & its relationship to the quality of children’s attachment experience (to the teens)
Conclusion: Father attachment is less important
BUT Quality of fathers play with infants WAS related to quality of adolescent attachments!
Explain a lack of sensitivity for role of the father
Men are not equipped to form an intense attachment because they lack the emotional sensitivity that women offer (due to biological or social factors)
Female hormone oestrogen underlies caring behaviour, so women generally are more caring
What did research conducted by Geiger suggest
Fathers are more playful, physically active and generally better at providing challenging situations for their children.
A father is an exciting playmate whereas mothers are more old fashioned and tend to read stories to their children, etc
What research was conducted to support/contradict a fathers lack of sensitivity
Hrdy - suggests that fathers are less able than mothers to detect low levels of infant distress which suggests males are less suitable to be primary caregivers
Lamb - fathers who become primary caregivers quickly develop more sensitivity to children’s needs which suggests that sensitive responsiveness isn’t limited to women
What research was conducted to support/contradict a fathers lack of sensitivity due to biological differences
Evolutionary perspective (Taylor) - Men are not equipped to form an intense attachment because they lack the emotional sensitivity that women offer (due to biological or social factors)
Female hormone oestrogen underlies caring behaviour, so women generally are more caring
What research was conducted into fathers as the primary caregivers
Field (1978) filmed 4 month old babies face to face interaction
Mothers (primary caregiver )
Fathers (primary caregiver )
Fathers (secondary caregiver )
Primary caregiver fathers (like mothers) spent more time smiling, imitating & holding infants- Compared to secondary caregiver fathers
Key to attachment 🡪 level of responsiveness NOT the gender
What are positive evaluation points into role of the father
Research support - Geiger
Practical applications - UK - now has paternity rights for men, where they can split this with mother - upto 6 months each
What are negative evaluation points into role of the father
Socially sensitive - some kids are primarily raised by fathers (14% in UK) and ⅖ marriages end in divorce, rise of same sex parenting, prescribing a ‘parenting ideal’ could be quite damaging and insensitive to many groups in society
Ethnocentric - most of the research has taken place in individualistic cultures where stereotypical gender roles in terms of parenting may differ from the traditional roles in more collectivist cultures, therefore not applicable
