Role of the Father Flashcards
What did Schaffer & Emerson find out about attachment to the father?
Only 3% babies formed the first primary attachment with their father
27% had mother & father jointly attached
After 18 months, 75% babies formed attachment with their father
Who studied the role of the father?
Field (1978)
Grossman et al (2002)
What did Grossman et al (2002) do and find?
He studied babies’ attachments until teenagers
Found quality of baby’s attachment with mother was related to attachment during infancy
WHEREAS
Quality of fathers’ play with babies was related to later attachments
SUGGESTS ROLE OF FATHER IS MORE TO DO WITH PLAY & SIMULATION - NOT EMOTIONS
What did field (1978) do and find?
Filmed 4 month interaction with primary caregivers being mother or father
When the father was primary caregiver, they spent more time interacting with the baby, similar to the mother as a primary caregiver
SUGGESTS FATHERS CAN BE A PRIMARY ATTACHMENT FIGURE
What are the strengths of the role of the father?
Field’s experiment
Real world application - can reassure parents that you can go against societal norms and the father can take the role of the primary attachment figure
What are the disadvantages of the role of the father?
Confusion over research
Fathers don’t take role of primary attachment figures
Father may not be needed - MacCallum & Golombok (2004)
How is there confusion in the research of the role of the father?
Research looks at seeing the role of the father as primary/secondary attachment figure but doesn’t state what the role actually is
What did MacCallum & Golombok (2004) find?
Children without a father don’t develop any different than if there was one (not all children need a father)
Why don’t fathers take the role of the primary attachment caregiver?
Social roles
Lack of oestrogen - mother more genetically designed to be nurturing
Bowlby’s idea that the role of the father is economic (sexist and outdated)
