Role of the father Flashcards
Limitation- fathers may not have distinct roles
Fathers may not have distinct roles - A limitation of research into the role of the father is that there is evidence that undermines the idea that fathers have distinct roles and suggests that when fathers do take on the role of being the main caregiver they adopt behaviours more typical of mothers. Lamb (1987) found that fathers who become main care providers seem able to quickly develop more sensitivity to children’s needs and become a safe base from which to explore. Parke observed fathers’ and mothers’ behaviour towards their new-born babies. They found that fathers are not only as interested as the mothers in their babies but they are just as good at understanding the babies’ cues (e.g. crying). These studies therefore indicate that both men and women have the same potential to become primary attachment figures.
Weakness- are separate roles important for attatchmeht
is questionable whether separate roles by a mother and a father are important for attachment formation. Studies have found that children growing up in single or same sex parent families do not develop differently from those in two-parent families (McCallum and Golombok, 2004). Schaffer and Emerson also concluded from their research that it is the quality of the relationship not quantity that mattered most in the formation of attachments. This therefore suggests that the key to the attachment relationship is the level of responsiveness not the gender of the caregiver.
