Lesson 3 - The role of the father

Question 1

When do babies attach to the father?

Answer 1

Schaffer and Emerson (1964) showed that 3% of infants attach to the father and 27% to both parents. By 18 months 75% had formed an attachment to the father based on whether they showed separation protest to them.

Question 2

Which attachment is more important?

Answer 2

Grossman et al (2002) found that the attachment to the father is less important than that of the mother

Question 3

Can fathers be primary attachments?

Answer 3

Field (1978) investigated the interactions of 4 month old infants with primary fathers, primary mothers and secondary fathers. Similarly primary mothers and fathers evoked behaviours such as smiling, laughing and showing reciprocity/IS. Fathers CAN be primaries like mothers.

Question 4

Strengths of the role of the father

Answer 4

• The research around the role of the father can be used to give parents advice

Question 5

Weaknesses of the role of the father

Answer 5

• Some researchers investigated the primary role and the secondary role of the father. This leads to confusion.
• MacCallum and Golombrook (2004) showed that children in lesbian and single mother families did not develop differently to two parent heterosexual families. The role of the father is not needed