Role of the father

Question 1

What does evidence suggest about fathers

Answer 1

Fathers are less likely to be primary attachment figures than mothers.

Question 2

What evidence did Schaffer and Emerson find for evidence of fathers lower attachment rates.

Answer 2

in 3% of cases was the father the sole primary attachment figure.
In 29% of cases, the father was jointly the primary attachment figure with mother.

Question 3

What percentage of babies had attached to fathers by 18 months

Answer 3

75%

Question 4

What was the research into the role of the father

Answer 4

Grossman’s longitudinal study.
-Where attachments were studied in babies through to adolescence.
-Behaviour of both parents was assessed and related to the quality of attachments that babies have to others later in life.

Question 5

What were the findings of Grossmans research

Answer 5

babies’ quality of attachment to their mothers was related to their quality of relationships in adolescence, but not fathers, suggesting that fathers’ attachment was less significant than mothers.

However, Grossman found that the quality of the fathers play and stimulation had impact on the child later relationships in adolescence. SUGGETS THAT FATHERS HAVE A FUNDAMENTALLY DIFFERENT ROLE TO MOTHERS.

Question 6

Outline Field’s research into fathers as primary caregivers

Answer 6

Field studied 4-month-old babies in face-to-face interactions with primary attachment mothers, primary attachment fathers, and secondary attachment fathers.
Field found that primary caregiver fathers elicited responses to babies signals in the same way as primary caregiver mothers, compared to secondary attachment fathers.
This demonstrates that fathers have the capability to undertake the emotional role, but only express this through being placed in a primary caregiver role.