Role of father Flashcards
Define
Primary caregiver
Person who spends most time with baby caring for its needs
Define
Primary attachment figure
Person to whom baby has strongest attachment to
A01
Outline Attachment to fathers refer to Schaffer & Emerson
Schaffer & Emerson-found majority of babies first became attached to mothers around 7 months
> only 3% of cases father- primary attachment figure
However, Fathers can become attachment figures:
> 75% of babies in Schaffer & Emersons study formed attachment with father by 18 months
suggests father is important, but unlikely to be the first person to which child develops an
attachment to.
A01
Outline Grossmann study of distinctive role fathers play in attachment
Research into the role of the father
longitudinal study on quality of the relationships between parents & children & how changed from infancy to teenage years
- found early attachment to mother was a better predictor of adolescence attachments
- suggests attachment to father is less important than to the mother in terms of nurture
- However, found if father engaged in active play with the child when they are young, the adolescent relationship with both parents is strengthened
> suggests fathers role in attachment-play & stimulation, less with emotional development
Distinctive role of fathers -focuses on whether attachment to fathers hold spefic value in a childs development & if the role different from mothers
A01
Outline Fathers as primary attachment figures- Field( 1978)
*Field Conducted research which compared the behaviours of primary caregiver mothers with primary & secondary caregiver fathers.
Face-to-face interactions were analysed from video footage with infants at 4 months of age.
* Field observed that fathers engaged more in game playing & held infants less. However, like PCG mothers , PGF engaged in significantly more smiling, imitating & holding babies than SCF
* suggesting fathers have potential to be emotion-focused primary attachment figures -if provide sensitive responsiveness required for close emotional attachment & express this when given role of primary caregiver
when fathers take role as primary caregivers they are able to adopt emotional role
A03
role of the father real world applications-
reassuring advice
strength
Real world application
> can be used to offer reassuring advice
>heterosexual parents can be informed that fathers capable of becoming primary attachment figures
> lesbian parent families & single mothers can be informed not having a father does not affect child’s development
> means parental anxiety can be reduced
A03
Confliciting evidence- McCallum & Golombok
Limitation
Grossmans study suggested fathers as SAF have a distinct role in childs development involving play thus would expect children from matriocal, homosexual family strucutures to turn out different
McCallum & Golombok demonstrated that children
growing up in homosexual or single-parent families were not different compared to children with two heterosexual parents.
suggests exact role of father is still disputed
Counterpoint:
Could be that single mothers adapt to accomodate role fathers play
A03
Role of the father-socially sensitive
- Research into importance of PAF is socially sensitive, as later
abnormalities in development (intellectual disability or affectionless psychopathy) are often blamed on the parent(s). - This means mother may be pressured to stay at home due to stereotypical views of role of m & F & fathers return to work in order to increase the likelihood that their child will form a secure attachment.
A01
Bias in the research
- Preconceptions about how father should behave can be created by stereotypical accounts & images of parenting roles & behaviours e.g used in advertising
- these stereotypes show fathers not as PCG, may cause unintentional observer bias whereby observers see what they expect rather than record objective reality
