ROLE OF THE FATHER Flashcards
what did Schaffer and Emerson find for primary attachment?
found that majority of babies are attached to their mother within the first 7 months
what % of babies were seen to have a primary attachment with the father?
3%
what % of babies formed a secondary attachment with the father?
75% by 18 months
what did Grossman carry out?
longitudinal study looking at parents behaviour and effects, quality of attachment w/ father < attachment with mother
what does Grossman’s study suggest?
that the father is less important in emotional development
the quality of what with infants was related to children’s attachments?
the quality of the father’s play, suggests that he father has a more stimulating role than nurturing
Field filmed primary caregiver fathers and found that…
they spent more time smiling, imitating and holding infants in comparison to secondary caregiver fathers
what is the key to attachment relationship (eval)?
the level of responsiveness not the gender of the parent
a strength of research into the role of the father is that…
it has important economic implications e.g. mother who feel pressure to stay at home find comfort from father who can provide the same level of care
what is a limitation of research into the role of the father?
too many different conclusions e.g. father is a more stimulating role or father can take on the maternal role
why is the fact that there are too many different conclusions a limitation?
because we don’t truly know the role of the father, just different ways they have been studied
what research is there to criticise Grossman’s research?
McCallum and Golombok found that children who grow up in single or same-sex parent families don’t develop differently
what does McCallum and Golombok’s research suggest?
the fathers role as a secondary attachment is not important
what does research into the role of the father not answer?
why father cannot be primary attachments, is it gender stereotypes that lead them to not act in a nurturing way or is that women are just biologically more nurturing
