Role of the Father

Question 1

What did attachment research traditionally focus on?

Answer 1

Mother-infant relationships as mothers most frequently form the primary attachment figure

Question 2

What did Schaffer and Emerson find?

Answer 2

Infants frequently formed secondary attachment figures. By 18 months 75% of infants had formed an attachment with their father

Question 3

What did Grossman do?

Answer 3

Conducted a longitudinal study looking at both parents behaviour and the quality of children’s attachment in adolescence

Question 4

What were Grossman’s findings?

Answer 4

Quality of attachment with mothers was related to children’s attachment in adolescence but the fathers attachments were not. However quality of fathers play with infants was related to equality of teenage attachments

Question 5

What did Grossman suggest?

Answer 5

This demonstrates that fathers have a different role in fostering skills through play and simulation rather than the traditional nurturing role of mothers

Question 6

What did Field do?

Answer 6

Filmed 4 month old babies in face to face interactions with primary caregiver mother, secondary caregiver father and primary giver fathers

Question 7

What did fathers that were primary caregivers do?

Answer 7

Spent more time smiling, imitating and holding infants than fathers who were secondary givers. They were also found to be more similar to primary caregiver mothers

Question 8

What did Field find?

Answer 8

Gender is not as important as thought and fathers can tailor their behaviour to suit the situation if nurturing or play is required