Attachment - Role of the Father

Question 1

Explain the role as the playmate

Answer 1

Research has consistently highlighted the fact that the fathers are more playful, active.
They may take this role as they are expected to be strong and protective rather than emotional and nurturing.

Question 2

Explain Grossman’s research

Answer 2

He conducted a longitudinal study looking at both parent’s behaviours and its relationship to the quality of children’s attachment into their teens

Question 4

What were Grossman’s findings?

Answer 4

Mothers - Quality of infant attachment relates to the quality of their adolescent relationship
Fathers - Quality of infant attachment did not relate to the quality of adolescent relationships but the quality of play was linked
Highlights that fathers are important in the playmate role

Question 5

Explain the role as the primary caregiver

Answer 5

Traditionally the role of the father is the provider however in the last 50 years males have taken a much more active role e.g being present at birth, feeding and changing

Question 6

Explain Field’s research

Answer 6

She filmed 4 month old babies in face to face interactions with primary care givers (mothers & fathers) and secondary care giver (fathers)
The SCG interactions were more playful and the PCG interactions were more smiling and concluded the same results as the mothers

Question 7

What’s a strength of the role of the father

Answer 7

✅ Supportive research - Hrdy found that fathers were less able to detect low levels of infant distress in comparison to mothers. Which supports the biological explanation of a lack of oestrogen in men which means that fathers ate not equipped innately to form close attachments

Question 8

Explain two weaknesses of the role of the father

Answer 8

❌ Individual differences of the child - Freeman found that male children are more likely to prefer their fathers & children are more likely to be attached to their fathers during later childhood & early adolescence. The role of the father is more varied than thought

❌ Fathers tend to become primary attachment figures as a result of traditional gender roles, in which women are suggested to be more caring