Role of the father

Question 1

What is Grossman’s research into the role of the father

Answer 1

Longitudinal study looking at both parent’s behaviour and it’s relationship to quality of children’s attachments into their teens
Quality of infant attachments with mothers related to emotional care
Quality of fathers play with infants was related to quality of adolescent attachment
Quality of attachment with the father isn’t as important as quality of attachment with the mother

Question 2

What is the evidence to suggest that fathers can take on the role of being the main caregiver (A01)

Answer 2

Field(1978) - Fathers can demonstrate responsiveness/respond to needs which lets them build an emotional bond
Fathers adopt behaviours mothers do e.g holding the baby/smiling
These behaviours are related to interactional synchrony/reciprocity
Helps form emotional attachment

Question 3

What does research into the role of the father state is the key to attachment relationship

Answer 3

Level of responsiveness

Question 4

What is the conflicting evidence in the role of the fathers research(A03)

Answer 4

Suggests fathers are secondary attachment figures
Suggests that if they don’t fill a specific role, the child won’t develop properly
Causes distress to same sex/single fathers as it implies that they wont be able to raise their child properly

Question 5

How can research into the role of the father be used to offer advice

Answer 5

Research suggests fathers are capable of being primary attachment figures/ even without a father, children will still develop normally
Mothers that don’t know this may be more inclined to stay home due to being vital to healthy emotional development
Fathers that don’t know this may be more inclined to work since they think they’re not important.
Leads to economical issues

Question 6

How do social biases prevent objective observations(A03)

Answer 6

Preconceptions about fathers
These stereotypes e.g fathers are more strict, leads to observer bias
Reduces credibility/internal validity

Question 7

Issues and debates for research into the role of the father(A03)

Answer 7

Determinism vs free will
Father’s are less equipped and can’t provide sensitive/nurturing attachment like mothers do
Fathers lack oestrogen which means they are innately unable to form attachment with their children
Supports the determinism view as fathers do not have free will to provide a nurturing type of attachment.