Multiple Attatchments and Role of the Father (AO1 + AO3)

Question 1

General arguments father IS/ISN’T as important

Answer 1

ISN’T
- fathers traditionally played a minor role in infant development bc ‘breadwinner’
- biologically unequipped bc different hormones
- women have more oestrogen (biologically suited to forming attachments)
- child-rearing is stereotypically feminine bc of cultural/societal expectations

IS
- role of the father is vital for social development
- just as capable of providing sensitive responsiveness + forming a a strong attachment

Question 2

Support/Opposition for importance of the father

Answer 2

SUPPORT:
- Van Ijzendoorn
- Field
- Grossman

OPPOSITION:
- Schaffer & Emerson
- Grossman

Question 3

What did SCHAFFER & EMERSON find regarding research into multiple attachments and the role of the father?

Answer 3

Role of the Father:
- 3% of first attachments were to the father
- majority of infants’ primary attachments were to the mother + father a secondary attachment
(father NOT as important)

Multiple Attachments:
- most infants went on to develop multiple attachments
- 87% had 2 by 18 months

Question 4

What did VAN IJZENDOORN find regarding research into multiple attachments and the role of the father?

Answer 4

• conducted cross cultural research which showed how babies often form multiple attachments right from the onset in collectivist cultures
• this is because families usually work jointly together in everything, including child-rearing

(father IS as important)

Question 5

What did GROSSMAN find regarding research into the role of the father?

Answer 5

longitudinal study on affect parents have on later attachments:

• quality of infant attachment w mothers but not fathers related to child’s attachments in adolescence
  (father NOT as important)
• quality of father’s play w infants related to the quality of adolescent attachments
• suggesting fathers have a different role, more to do w play/stimulation
  (father IS as important)

Question 6

What did FIELD find regarding research into the role of the father?

Answer 6

• filmed 4 month old + compared interaction w primary caregiver mothers, pcg fathers, scg fathers
• found pcg fathers like pcg mothers spent more time smiling, imitating, holding infants in comparison to scg fathers
• suggests fathers can be the more nurturing attachment figure
• key to attachment is level of sensitive responsiveness not gender of parent

(father IS as important)

Question 7

4 points of PEEL
(multiple attachments + role of the father)

Answer 7

✓ Geiger has supportive research
✕ lacks historical validity
✕ research suggest father’s role is NOT to provide attachment

Question 8

Geiger has supportive research - EEL

Answer 8

G’s research evidenced how father’s play interactions were more exciting in comparison to the mother’s who were more nurturing - shows importance of the father’s role as a playmate

links to Grossman’s research which demonstrated father’s importance in a child developing social skills + attachments in later life

therefore both mother + father are important for difference reasons

Question 9

lacks historical validity - EEL

Answer 9

S + E’s study conducted in the 1960’s - found only 3% of pcg was the father

society = very different now bc less stereotypical gender roles + more paternity leave

therefore we may get different results if the study was conducted now

Question 10

research suggest father’s role is NOT to provide attachment - EEL

Answer 10

the role of the father could be biologically determined i.e lower levels of oestrogen to be less sensitive to infant needs

Hardy conducted research supporting the idea that fathers were less able to detect infant distress than mothers

therefore fathers may not be as important in forming attachments

Question 11

PICL for multiple attachments + role of the father

Answer 11

Research into multiple attachments and the role of the father is based in the idea of nature - mothers are biologically determined to be the pcg

A strength of nature is that it can help develop treatments and interventions. Interventions can be made for single fathers.

However multiple attachments and the role of the father can be due to other factors e.g. level of sensitive responsiveness in forming attachment

Therefore it may be better to explain multiple attachments and the role of the father using both nature and nurture - the interactionist approach