🟢 Attachment: The role of the father

Question 1

What is the father in attachment

Question 2

Outline evidence suggestive that fathers are less likely to become babies’ primary attachment figure compared to mothers

Answer 2

• Schaffer and Emerson (1964)
  ⁃ Found majority of babies first became attached to mothers at around 7 months
  ⁃ In only 3% of cases father was the first sole primary attachment figure
  ⁃ In 27% of cases the father was the joint primary attachment caregiver with the mother

Question 3

Outline study that found most babies formed an attachment to fathers at 18 months

Answer 3

• 75% of the babies Schaffer and Emerson studies formed attachments with their father by 18 months
  ⁃ This was determined by babies protesting when their fathers walked away (which is a sign of attachment)

Question 4

Outline a specific study showing that fathers have a distinctive role from mothers in a child’s developemt

Answer 4

• Grossmann et al (2002)
• Conducted a longitudinal study where babies attachment was studied ‘til adolescence
  ⁃ Looked at both parents’ behaviour and its link to the quality of baby’s later attachments
• Quality of baby’s attachment w/ mothers was related to attachment in adolescence but quality of fathers attachment wasn’t
  ⁃ Suggests attachment to fathers is less important
  ⁃ HOWEVER Grossmann et al found quality of fathers’ play was related to teen attachment, suggesting fathers have a role different from mothers more to do with play and stimulation and less with emotional development

Question 5

What role do fathers have in a child’s development

Answer 5

They have a role more centred around play and stimulation

Question 6

Outline a study showing that fathers as primary attachment figures can adopt the emotional role associated with mothers

Answer 6

• Field (1978) filmed fact to face interactions btween 4-month old babies with
  ⁃ Primary caregiver mothers
  ⁃ Secondary caregiver fathers
  ⁃ Primary caregiver fathers
• Found that primary caregiver mothers and fathers spend more time smiling imitating and holding the babies than the secondary caregiver fathers
  ⁃ Shows fathers have the potential to be emotion focused PAF
  ⁃ They can provide the responsiveness for emotional attachment but may only express this when given the role of primary caregiver

Question 7

Attachment to fathers
(Do babies attach to fathers and if so when)

Answer 7

• Most babies attach to their father
  ⁃ 75% attach by 18 months
• Rarely are the fathers first attachment
  ⁃ 3% are sole first attachment (Schaffer and Emerson)
  ⁃ 27% are joint first attachment (Schaffer and Emerson)

Question 8

What study supports the theory that fathers have a distinctive role in a child’s development

Answer 8

Grossmann et al. (2002)

Question 9

Name the subheadings for ‘The role of the father’

Answer 9

Attachment to fathers

Distinctive role for fathers

Fathers as primary caregivers